iLab Support

iLab — iLab Quick-Start Guide

iLab Quick-Start Guide

All Users

This quick start-guide walks you through getting started with using iLab, including essential steps like registering for an account, joining or changing a lab membership, and adding your payment information.


Create an iLab Account

You can register for a new account using the link a Core facility may have sent you, or using a generic sign up form link, from the list below.

Choose the iLab instance based on the location of the Institution or Research Facility you are ordering services from.

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Note

Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) and Stanford University have to sign up using another link. See more information for DFCI and Stanford down below.

Your account request will be reviewed and approved within 24 hours. You should receive a Welcome Email with instructions on how to log into iLab

iLab Site

Location

Link

U.S. Instance

All users ordering services from U.S.-based institutions or research facilities.

Sign Up

DFCI Instance

All users ordering services from a DFCI core facility, including those who already have an iLab account in the general iLab U.S. instance.

Sign Up

Stanford Instance

All users ordering services from a Stanford University core facility, including those who already have an iLab account in the general iLab U.S. instance.

Sign Up

CA Instance

All users ordering services from institutions or research facilities located in Canada.

Sign Up

EU Instance

All users ordering services from institutions or research facilities located in Europe or in the Middle East.

Sign Up

AU Instance

All users ordering services from institutions or research facilities located in Australia or within the Asia-Pacific region.

Sign Up


Manage Lab Memberships

If you need to join a group or add a second membership to your account:

  1. Click on the My Groups link in the left-side navigation menu .
  2. Once on this page, click on the button Request Group Access.'
  3. Use the search fields in the popup to select your Institution and then your lab group name.
  4. Click the  'Request Access' button.

Contact the PI or Lab Manager if you need to be removed from a group/lab

If you are a PI or Lab Manager, you can manually add or remove users from your lab group on the Members tab of the lab page.


My Payment Information

Most facilities require account/payment numbers to be provided before submitting service requests or creating reservations . Contact your PI or Lab Manager if you receive any error message stating that your Payment Number is invalid/Missing Payment information.

As Lab Admins, they will need to assign you a fund number from the 'Fund Numbers' grid found in the 'Membership Request & Funds' tab of the lab page.

External Cores to your Institution may offer different payment methods , such as P.Os., credit cards, and cash. You may be required to provide a payment information before submitting work requests.

Contact the Core directly if you have questions when selecting the payment method.

Additional Information


Request Access to a Core

Depending on their iLab settings, they may need to grant you access before submitting any work order when using a Core for the first time or with a new account.

The screen below will appear in case you need this authorization. Follow the instructions on the screen to request access to the Core.

The Core Staff is responsible for reviewing and granting access to users based on their internal policies and requirements.

Contact the Core if you have questions about accessing their facility.


Accessing External Core Facilities

Learn how to use your iLab account to work with different Institutions in iLab.

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iLab Support

Getting Started with iLab

iLab — Overview of Using the Help Site

Overview of Using the Help Site

Role: All users

iLab — Using the iLab Help Site

Using the iLab Help Site

Role: All users

New! iLab Troubleshooting Assistant

This tool allow you to log in using your institutional credentials, access core facilities at other institutions, add a new lab/PI to your memberships, and more.


The iLab help site provides access to documentation on all aspects of the iLab system. There are various ways to use and navigate the help site:

.

  1. Tree view : the navigation on the left hand side of the help site allows you to find all available content organized by topic and sub-topic. The first level of organization is by the role of the user in the system (e.g. "Using a Core" for Core Customers, Managing a Group for PIs / Group Managers, etc.). The next levels are organized roughly by the various interfaces in iLab. In some cases, a single article will cover all details of an interface, but for more complex interfaces there will be a folder with various more sub-articles.
  2. Search bar : the bar at the top of the screen allows for free-text searching of the help site
  3. Bread crumbs : the bread crumbs at the top of each article allow you to see where the article belongs in the overall organization, and clicking on each component will bring you directly to that level (e.g. in the screen above, clicking on "Using a Core" will bring you to the folder with all articles on how to use a core, of which the current article is one)
  4. Article : the content of the help site. Most articles have a table of contents near the top, which allows for easy jumping to any section within.
  5. Was this article helpful? : Please feel free to candidly share you feedback if an article was helpful to you. This feedback will be used to improve iLab's help content over time.
  6. Related questions : Articles related to the current article are listed here for easy follow-up browsing.




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iLab — Registering with iLab

Registering with iLab

To create a new iLab account, you will need to fill out an Account Request form, either by:

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Note

For Institutions with ID integration with iLab, once you access their landing page, click the Sign-up button on the upper-right of your screen. Next, click on the link "Click here to log in or register using your institute login and password." Depending on the institute, this message may differ slightly.

This article will cover:


Choosing an iLab Instance

Select the iLab instance based on the location of the institution or research facility from which you are ordering services.

Delete

Note

Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) and Stanford University each have a dedicated iLab instance. See more information for DFCI and Stanford core customers below.

iLab Site

Location

Link

U.S. Instance

All users ordering services from U.S.-based institutions or research facilities.

Sign-Up Form

DFCI Instance

All users ordering services from a DFCI core facility, including those who already have an iLab account in the general iLab U.S. instance.

Sign-Up Form

Stanford Instance

All users ordering services from a Stanford University core facility, including those who already have an iLab account in the general iLab U.S. instance.

Sign-Up Form

CA Instance

All users ordering services from institutions or research facilities located in Canada.

Sign-Up Form

EU Instance

All users ordering services from institutions or research facilities located in Europe or in the Middle East.

Sign-Up Form

AU Instance

All users ordering services from institutions or research facilities located in Australia or within the Asia-Pacific region.

Sign-Up Form


Start

Once you open the 'Sign-Up Form', it will bring you to the first step of the Registration interface, where you enter your e-mail address, verify the reCAPTCHA requirement and agree to iLab's privacy and security policies.

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Your e-mail address will be reviewed, and if your institution has an ID Integration with iLab, the registration process will redirect you to your own institution's authentication system:

Once authenticated, you will choose the PI that you work with and  your PI or your institution's administrator will be notified for approval. Once approved you will receive access to iLab and the site you wish to utilize.

You will be asked to indicate the iLab institution that you are registering for and will then be directed to finish the registration starting with providing your email and moving through the steps of the registration wizard below.

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Personal Information

The second step of the process requires you to complete your personal information. The institution field may be pre-populated based on the e-mail address, but this selection can be overridden.

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Group Associations

The third step prompts you to indicate the Lab/Group you are associated with. You may enter the group name, PI name, or financial approver and the system will search for a group matching that information. If there is no existing Lab/Group, you can use "Create New Group" to create a new Lab/Group.

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Billing Information

The fourth step may not be required for the institution you are registering with, in which case you would have been prompted to complete the process after the "Group Associations" step. However, if Billing Information is required, you will be prompted to complete the following information:

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After the final step, your registration can be completed. If your registration meets the following conditions, it will be completed momentarily, you will receive a confirmation e-mail and the PI and Lab/Group managers will be notified:

  • The institution you are registering with already exists in iLab
  • The registration e-mail address matches a known institutional domain
  • The Lab/Group you are registering with already exists in iLab

If these conditions are not met, your registration will be manually reviewed and account creation (or rejection) may take up to 24 hours.

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iLab — Logging Into iLab

Logging Into iLab

Role: All users

Once you are registered with iLab ‍, you can login to the system using one of two methods:


Institution Login

For many institutions, iLab is integrated ( Single Sign-On (SSO)) with their authentication system. If this is the case, you will have been provided with an institution-specific link (for example institution.ilabsolutions.com, institution.corefacilities.org, or institution.ilab.agilent.com).

You can also check here if your Institution has ID integration with iLab or if you will need iLab credentials to log in.

Note

If you intend to visit a core at an institution other than your own, you should still log in using your own institution's login link . See the instructions below.

With an institution login, you will typically be presented with a screen similar to the one below:

Click on the "here" link in the top box to be sent to your institution's authentication page. From here, authenticate with your institution credentials, after which you will be redirected to your destination in iLab.

If accessing a Core facility at an Institution other than your own, and your institution is utilizing the SSO login authentication, c lick on ‘sign in using other institution credentials, search for and select your Institution from the drop-down list, and press ‘Go’.


You will then be redirected to your institution's login page and once logged in, you can access the needed core by following the steps outlined here , if you have not landed onto the core page that was needed.


iLab Login

If your institution does not have an ID Integration with iLab, you will use iLab-provided credentials (username and password).

Simply complete the Username (first field) and Password and click "Sign In" to access iLab.

For reference, some common iLab login pages are:


Please Contact Support ‍ if you have any issues logging into iLab.



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iLab — Overall Navigation

Overall Navigation

Role: All users

iLab uses a navigation structure that relies on a left-hand navigation panel (typically hidden) for access to all high-level system areas, combined with several navigation elements at the top of the screen that provide access to various system functions. The main area of the screen contains the currently active interface.

  1. Show/Hide navigation : The left-hand navigation panel is usually hidden, but can be shown (and hidden again) by clicking on the on three horizontal bars at the top-left of the screen.
  2. Home : When you log into iLab, you will automatically be taken to your home page ‍. You will see a welcome from the core, as well as a brief description of the core. Additionally, you may see some steps to get started. From here, you may access service requests, messages, your cores and institutions, and all features available in the left and top navigation panels.
  3. Core Facilities : Click on this section header to list and search all core facilities‍ at your own institution, as well as at partner institutions and other outside institutions.
    • my cores (Core Administrators and Staff): Clicking this link displays a list of the cores of which you are an administrator and staff member. You can also hover over this link to bring up a pop-up interface, from which you can quickly select a core.
    • my reservations (all Users): Displays an overview of all of your current, upcoming and recent reservations in iLab.
    • view requests (PIs and Lab Managers) : Provides access to all service requests order through your Lab / Group
    • invoices ‍ (all Users): Provides access to all of your invoices
    • time entry (Core Administrators and Staff) : Access an interface that allows you to log your time against certain project IDs (if enabled)
    • publication tracker (Institutional Administrators, Core Administrators and Staff) : Provides access to an interface to track publications to which your core's work contributed (if enabled).
  4. Reporting : The Reporting ‍ interface allows you to run reports on all data in iLab that you have access to.
  5. Manage Groups: Click on this section header to show a page with all groups, departments, cores and institutions you have access to.
    • my groups (PIs and Lab Managers) : Provides access to all Labs/Groups of which you are a member
    • my departments (Institutional Administrators): Access the departments at your institution
    • my cores (Core Administrators and Staff): Clicking this link displays a list of the cores of which you are an administrator and staff member. You can also hover over this link to bring up a pop-up interface, from which you can quickly select a core.
    • [ Institution Name] (Institutional Administrators) : The institutions to which you belong will display here. Click on an institution to be taken to the home page.
    • people search (all Users) : Find people in iLab and perform certain management functions, depending on role.
    • purchase orders (Institutional Administrators): Access an interface to view all open and pending purchase orders (if enabled)
  6. Search cores and services: You may use this tool to search for specific cores and services. Enter a key term or the first few letters and click Go! Your results will display on the page.
  7. my profile: Click here to view and edit your user profile
  8. System upgrades: This link gives you access to all messages regarding the system and updates/feature/bug fixes of the iLab software.
  9. HELP: The Help link brings you to iLab's customer support portal
  10. logout: Click here to logout of the system.

iLab — Core Facilities

Core Facilities

Role: All users

The Core Facilities link in the left-hand side navigation ‍ will list all cores that are live in iLab and can be accessed by users. From this list, users can find cores both within their own organization as well as at other institutions.

If your institution uses iLab and you need access to facilities at other institutions, but the scope selector is not showing the cores list, you can use our Troubleshooting Assistant to search the external facilities page.

  1. Hamburger Icon: Clicking on this icon opens the left hand navigation panel.
  2. Scope selector : From this drop-down, you can select the scope used for listing cores. For most users, the options will include "Cores at My Institutions" as well as "Cores at Other Institutions". Some institutions may also have configured select "Partner Institutions" or even a broader "Partner Network", which would add corresponding entries.
  3. Search table : Type (part of) a name of a core to only list those cores. Note that the search only applies to the current scope (e.g. to search for cores at other institutions, you need to first select that as the scope as discussed above).
  4. Core list : The main area will display a list of the selected cores. Click on a core name to go directly to that core.
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iLab — Managing Your Profile

Managing Your Profile

Role: All Users

The section My Profile contains important information regarding your account. When you access My Profile you can edit certain information and view other information related to your profile.

Note: All sections may not be visible due to institution configuration.


Access My Profile

To access the My Profile link, click on the grey button displaying your name in the top right corner. This will open a drop down and select the option My Profile .

The My Profile page will now open to the first section, Profile Details . To navigate to additional sections, click the section name along the left side.


Profile Details

Profile Details is an overview of your personal information on the account. There are sections that you have the ability to change by clicking the Edit button. Any field that changes to a free text or drop down menu you have the ability to update, once you make any changes click the save button.


Change Password

This section will only be available to you if you login to iLab using iLab credentials and not institution credentials. To change your password first type in your current password and then create a new password that meets the requirements outlined to the right. Once this is done click the Save button to apply the change.


Billing/ Shipping Information

The Billing/ Shipping Information on your profile provides contact information that you have the ability to add and change on your profile by clicking the Edit button. This will turn the fields below each section into free text fields. Once you have added the needed information click Save .

The Billing Information you add will display on invoices created by the core and will also be used if your lab selects the option to receive invoices by mail.

The Shipping Information will be used for all orders and requests in iLab that require an item to be shipped to you.


Notification Settings

In the Notification Settings you can check and un-check the boxes across from the actions that you wish to or not to receive communication about. There is a column for iLab Inbox and Email, where you can choose where you would like to receive the communication. There are a few boxes under the iLab Inbox column that cannot be un-checked. If you check boxes under the Email column the messages will be delivered to the email address listed on you iLab account. Once all the needed changes are made to your notification settings, click Save .


Default Ordering Settings

The Default Ordering Settings indicate the group and project that orders placed through requisitioning will automatically be assigned to. To set your Default Group and Default Project click in the drop down for each and select the appropriate ordering group/project for each section. The Orders Shipped To section is a free text field where you can choose to type the name of a contact to receive the order or a department name. Once you have your settings picked, click Save .


Search Preferences

The Search Preferences sets the default for the products you want to see in your order history. To set the preference, click in the drop down box and select one of the options, then click save . Note: this section only applies if Requisitioning is used by your group/institution.


Projects

If you are associated with a group or institution that uses Requisitioning, Projects will be used to organize orders based on grants/funds, departments or other defining information.

To add a new project, click the + Create New Project button. This will direct you to the information that needs to be completed to create a new project. Once you complete the Name, Ordering and Sharing Options, click Create New Project .


Labs

The Labs section allows you to view all the labs/groups you are associated with. You can navigate to the lab's page by clicking on the name of the lab.


Colleagues

The Colleagues section displays all the lab members that are linked to the same requisitioning lab you are linked to. This allows for ordering on behalf of other members, adding members to funding sources, and assigning projects.


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iLab — Using Your Homepage

Using Your Homepage

Role: All users

After logging into iLab, you will most likely land on the homepage, or you can directly access your homepage by clicking on the "Home" link on the left-hand side navigation .  On the homepage, you can search for resources, view requests that require your attention and a list of your reservations.


Home Panel

On your homepage, right after the "Getting Started" panel, you will see the "Home" section. Here you can review a summary of important information for your account, including email communications, links to your core facilities and resources, active requests, past events, and upcoming scheduled events.


Service Request Panel

If you have any service request with a Core in iLab, you will see the "Service Requests" panel on your homepage. In this panel you can review requests that require your attention under the alerts tab. These alerts are typically related to requests waiting for your approval, to have the missing payment information updated, or draft requests that you have not yet submitted to the core. Principal Investigators and Lab Managers can see all requests submitted for their lab, from lab members to themselves, that require approval in this same panel.

Under the info tab within the Service Requests panel, you will see up to twenty of your most recent requests. For more information about the Service Request s panel, click on the help tab.


Scheduling Panel

You may also see a "Scheduled Events" panel on your homepage. This panel will display any of your reservations that are still pending core approval in the alerts tab, and all of your future reservations, up to fifteen, in the info tab. Again, click on the help tab to see more information about the "Scheduled Events" panel.



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iLab — Supported Browsers

Supported Browsers

Roles: All users

iLab supports current versions of the following browsers:

  • FireFox
  • Chrome
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Apple Safari

Note : as of 12/31/2019, iLab is discontinuing support for older browsers. From this date, users must use a browser with TLS 1.2 enabled, which is the default for the following browser versions:

  • Microsoft Internet Explorer version 11 or later
  • Microsoft Edge all versions
  • Chrome 30 or later
  • Firefox 27 or later
  • Apple Safari 7 or later


iLab — Key iLab Terms

Key iLab Terms

Role: All users

Below is a glossary of key terms used in iLab, organized by topic:


Entities:

  • Institution: the overall customer organization, which contains the various entities described below.
  • Core Facility / Shared Resource : an entity that offers services or access to resources for customers. In iLab, each Core Facility / Shared Resource (Core, for short) has an online store-front that customers can use to identify the offerings available and directly order products/services. For core administrators and staff, iLab provides workflows to help deliver services, manage resources, complete billing and generate reports.
  • Lab/Group : A group of users, supervised/managed by a Principal Investigator and/or Lab/Group Managers (see below). In iLab, Labs/Groups are typically used as the primary way to organize access to Funds (see below) and manage financial approvals for purchases at Core Facilities.
  • Department : Institutions can choose to organize their Labs/Groups into Departments. This allows for financial approvals to be escalate to the departmental level and allows for reporting at this level. Note that the use of departments is optional.
  • Center : A grouping of Labs/Groups and/or Core Facilities, possibly across institutional boundaries, which can be used to define special price types and subsidies.

User roles in iLab:

  • Institutional Administrator: Someone within an organization using iLab who is responsible for supervising the overall usage of iLab. Institutional Administrators have certain rights within iLab that allow them to report at the institutional level and allows them to manage users and groups within their organization.
  • Principal Investigator (PI): Primary leader of a lab or group within iLab. Has certain rights to manage users in their lab/group and control financial access / approvals.
  • Lab/Group Manager : Administrator of a lab or group, typically a delegate of the PI, with rights similar to the Principal Investigator.
  • Lab/Group Member : Any member of a lab or group that does not have any special administrative rights.
  • Core Administrator : Managers of a Core Facility/Shared Resource, who have special permissions in iLab to modify the workflow of their core and the ability to generate billing events and reports.
  • Core Member : Staff at a Core Facility/Shared Resource, with the ability to performs workflow functions (i.e. complete orders, deliver services, etc.) but without the administrative permission available to Core Administrators.
  • Core Customer : Not a role separate from the roles described above, but "Core Customer " describes any user of iLab that is in the process of ordering services or securing resources from a Core.

Other terms:

  • Fund : The general term used to describe a way for users to pay for services in iLab. In your organization, a Fund may be known as a "Grant number", "Chart Field String", "Speed Code", "Account Number", "Project ID" or any other identifier. In iLab, Funds are allocated to Labs/Groups, and from there assigned to individual Lab/Group members by the PI or Lab/Group Managers. When a user orders a product/service from a Core, or looks to make a reservation, they will be able to choose from the Funds made available to them.
  • Service request : A customer request for a Core to perform various services.
  • Charge : An individual "line item" that corresponds to a specific product/service provided by a core.
  • Resource / Equipment: Something that a Core customer can make a (time-based) reservation against. Often represents a piece of equipment, but can also refer to other resources such as specific facility or time with specialists.
  • Schedule / Calendar: A collection of the available and reserved time slots for a specific Resource / Equipment.
  • Reservation : A claim on a specific time slot on a Schedule / Calendar.
  • Financial Approval : When services are ordered or resources are reserved, typically a financial approval step needs to be completed before the transaction can be completed. The Principal Investigator or a Lab/Group Manager designated as a financial contact will need to provide an explicit approval, unless the amount is below a configurable Approval Threshold (in which case the approval is performed automatically). For more information on request approvals, see Request Services ‍.
  • Financial Integration : During the implementation process, iLab can be integrated with the customer's financial system. The two key areas that are most often integrated are the automatic allocation of Funds to specific Labs/Groups and the automatic upload of billing data to the customer's internal and/or external billing systems.
  • ID integration : Another common integration point is between the customer's authentication system and iLab. If an ID integration is in place, the customer logs in using their own institution's credentials, rather than obtaining credentials from iLab.

iLab Support

iLab Support

Institution Dashboard

iLab — Institution Dashboard Overview

Institution Dashboard Overview

Role: Institution Administrator

As an Institution Administrator, when you first log into iLab you may be directed to your institution dashboard or you can navigate to it using the left side menu and clicking on the name of your institution(s). On your dashboard, you will see a summary of all the cores within your institution, along with basic information for each core. Additionally, you will see a graphical representation of revenue, users, requests, and utilization for the institution.

Each section on your dashboard is described below. Click on the name to read more about each subject:

  1. Summary of Cores ‍: The Summary of Cores tab allows you to view specific information regarding your cores.
  2. User Management : The User Management tab allows you to manage the users of your institution, including groups, departments, research groups, and more.
  3. External Customer Info : The External Customer Info tab allows you to add an accounting code or external customer number to an institution or a group.
  4. Billing : The Billing tab will take you to the Billin g tab for your institution, where you may view charges, billing events and invoices across your institution.
  5. Taxes : The Taxes tab allows you to view, edit, and create all the taxes that apply to your institution.
  6. Protocols‍ : The Protocols tab allows you to view, edit, and create research protocols for your institution.
  7. Reporting‍ : The Reporting tab allows you to create reports for your institution.
  8. Settings ‍: The Settings tab allows you to review and edit institution-level settings.

Note: Depending on the current settings for your institution, all tabs listed may not be displayed.

If your Institution Dashboard has a different layout you may be in the old interface, to try the new interface scroll to the bottom of the page and click Try new design!, this will switch your view to the new Institution Dashboard interface.

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iLab — Summary of Cores

Summary of Cores

Role: Institution Administrator

The Summary of Cores tab on your Institution Dashboard , gives you an at-a-glance view of activity in your institution's cores.

The first section contains the statistics from all of your live cores. The statistics displayed are revenues (for the last 12 months), total users, total requests, and utilization (amount of scheduled time). The light blue indicates users internal to your institution and the dark blue indicates external users.

The next section includes a list of your institution's cores followed by demographic information. Each core name is a hyperlink which will take you to the core's homepage if clicked.

You may also display additional information about the cores by clicking on the boxes, Show Payment Requirements and Show External Settings .

Show Payment Requirements will display the core's payment requirement settings for internal and external customers.

Show External Settings will display the Visible Externally settings used to define how your core will be viewed for external (non-member) iLab customers.

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iLab — User Management

User Management

Role: Institution Administrator

The User Management tab on your institution dashboard allows you to manage different groups within your institution. To navigate to a specific section in User Management, you may use the table of contents on the left side.


Research Groups

A research group is a lab consisting of a Principle Investigator (PI), lab administrators and lab members. The research groups section will list all internal labs at the institution. To view details about each research group, click on the hyperlinked name. More information can be found in the Overview of Managing a Group ‍section. To add a new research group to your institution, click on the New Research Group button.

The New Research Group window displays.

Enter a name for your new research group, and then select who should be able to see it. The options are:

  • Stealth: Invisible to everyone except members.
  • Private: May appear in anyone's search results, but only members can see its full information, and membership is controlled.
  • Public: May show up in anyone's search results and there is no limitation on membership.

Now you will need to designate a PI. If you would like to assign an existing PI, begin typing the name in the Select Existing box and select the appropriate name as it displays below your search. To designate a new PI, enter the email, and first and last name of the new PI, click Save . Your new research group has been added and is ready to use. If lab administrators/managers and/or lab members/users need to be added to the lab this can be done from the Members tab on the group's page.

NOTE: If your institution has ID integration, you will need to contact iLab support to add the SAML or LDAP authentication context for new PI before they can log in to iLab.


Departments

The department is an organizational group that manages multiple research groups. There can be several departments within an institution. The main use of departments is for financial administrators to manage payment information and reporting for all groups within the department. To view details about each department, click on the hyperlinked name. Here you can add financial administrators, research groups and manage department settings.

To add a new department, enter a name in the Create new department box and click the blue add sign.


Organizations

An organization is a management group of core facilities under the institution. There could be several organizations within one institution, this could include a School or Center. Organizations may be used to provide separate settings or branding for these sub-groups.

Organizations are typically created by your iLab Project Manager during the integration process. When the organization is created by iLab, the proper organization managers will be added. Institution administrators will be able to see all research groups, departments, and core facilities.

You may view each organization by clicking on the hyperlinked name.


Membership to Institution

Institution administrators can view and manage the members of their institution here. To add a new member, click the New Member button.

The New Member window displays. Begin typing the name of the member you wish to add and select from the drop-down menu that displays. Note: You can only add new members if they have an existing iLab account.

Then use the drop down box to select the role for the new member.

Then click Invite .

If you wish to edit an existing user, use the action icons.

To edit a membership, click on the middle document icon to display the edit window.

From here, you may edit the member's role, email address, phone number, and ordering privileges.

Use the red X to delete a member.


Partner Institutions

You may designate partner institutions anytime you would like members of another institution to have member-level access to your institution. This eliminates the need to add all the members individually.

Institutions available for partnering display on the left. Institutions you are already partnered with, display on the right. To add a partner institution, highlight it on the left side, and then click the right arrow to move it to the right side. To remove a partner institution, highlight it on the right side and move it to the left. To highlight multiple institutions at once, press the CTRL key while clicking the mouse.

When you have completed your selections, click Save .


Fund Numbers

All fund numbers associated with your institution and listed in iLab, are displayed here. Note: a Fund may be known as a "Grant number", "Chart Field String", "Speed Code", "Account Number", "Project ID" or any other identifier.

To edit any of the fund numbers, click on the lab name. You will be taken to the lab page where you can make your edits. To learn more about this page, see section Membership Requests & Fund Numbers .‍

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iLab — External Customer Numbers

External Customer Numbers

Role: Institution Administrator

External customer numbers are often used by the financial department at an institution to identify external customers within their financial system. Typically, the external customer number needs to be generated by the institution prior to creating the iLab account for the customer. Each institution will establish their own workflow for assigning customer numbers, as well as their own format for them. The external customer numbers can be included in the external billing file. If an external customer is missing an external customer number the billing file will receive a billing error and cannot be completed until the missing customer number has been associated with the external institution or group. As an Institution Administrator you can assign an external customer number to an institution or research group.

NOTE: The External Customer Info tab will only be displayed if your integration includes this functionality.  Contact your iLab PM if you would like to discuss adding external customer numbers for your institution.


Add a Customer Number for an Institution

To add an external customer number for an entire institution, click on the Add a new institution button in the Institution section of the External Customer Number page.

A pop up box will open where you will search for the existing institution's name by typing in 2 or more characters. Once you see the correct institution click on its name. Below the selected institution there is a free text field to type in the Customer Number.

Once the fields are complete click on the button Create External Customer Info. The institution and customer number will be added to list and the customer number will be applied to anyone affiliated with that institution.


Add a Customer Number for a Group

To add an external customer number for a group, click on the Add a new group button in the Groups section of the External Customer Number page.

A pop up box will open where you will search for the existing group's name by typing in 2 or more characters. Once you see the correct group click on its name. Below the selected group there is a free text field to type in the Customer Number.

Once the fields are complete click on the button Create External Customer Info. The group and customer number will be added to list and the customer number will be applied to everyone in the group.


Edit or Delete a Customer Number

To edit a customer number for an institution or group click on the pencil icon to the right of the entry.

This will open the Customer Number column to a free text field where the number can be edited. To save the change click the green check mark or to discard the change click the gray x.

To delete a customer number entry, click on the trash can icon to the right of institution or group which you wish to remove.

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iLab — Billing

Billing

Role: Institution Administrator

As the Institution Administrator, you may view and take action on billing events across all cores in your institution, by clicking on the Billing tab on your Institution Dashboard .


Layout of Billing tab

On this tab, you will see basic information for each billing event created by each core. Each section is described below.

  1. Core Name: The name of the core where the billing event was created.
  2. Name: This is the name of the billing event.  The name can be edited by hovering over the text.
  3. Created By: The name of the core staff who created the billing event.
  4. Status: The current status of the billing event.
  5. Date Added: When the billing event was created.
  6. Value (# of charges): The total amount of the charges in the billing event along with the number of individual charges in the billing event.
  7. Actions: The summary link allows you to see the breakdown of charges per price type and billing status.  The invoices link allows you to see the invoices created in the billing event.

Also, on this tab are additional Navigation buttons: message core contacts, send billing files to ERP and merge drafts. These buttons can be viewed by clicking on the bulk actions button. Each is described below.


Message Contacts

After expanding the bulk actions you can click the Message Core Contacts button will to send an email to all the core contacts for your institution.

You may choose to select all the contacts of all cores, or specific contacts within specific cores by using the check boxes. You can also enter a name in the text box to search for an individual core contact.

Below the contacts list there is the free text box to enter your message. Once you have completed your message click Send Message .


Send Billing Files to ERP

If your institution has been configured to send iLab billing files to your ERP system, you can do so by clicking on Send Billing Files to ERP once you have expanded the Bulk Actions.

You will be able to select which specific billing files you would like to send by either clicking the Select All check box or the individual check boxes for the . By default, they are all selected. To select specific files, deselect the Select All checkbox. Then check the ones you would like to send.

Then click Send .


Merge Drafts

There might be times where a core has multiple draft billing events that need combined into one final billing event. To do this you will click the Merge Drafts button once the Bulk Actions are expanded.

A new box will then show all the available draft events. Click the check boxes next to the draft events you would like to merge, keeping in mind only billing events from the same core with the same charge grouping on invoices can be merged.

Once you have selected the billing events you would like to merge, click the Merge Drafts button.

Draft billing events can also be managed at the core level, Merge Drafts .


Using Filters

Similar to many of the other pages in iLab you have the ability to filter the results shown by using the filters along the left side.

For more information on using filters, please see Using Filters .‍

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iLab — Taxes

Taxes

Role: Institution Administrator

As an Institution Administrator, one of your responsibilities will be to maintain any applicable taxes for your institution. You may add a new tax or update an existing tax by clicking on the Taxes tab within the Institution Dashboard .

Note: The Tax tab may not show based on the current settings of your institution.


Add a New Tax

To add a new tax, click on the blue + New Tax button.

This will bring up a box with all the information to complete when setting up a new tax.

  1. Name: Enter a name for the tax.
  2. Percentage: Enter the percentage amount for the tax.
  3. Purpose: Describe the purpose of the tax.
  4. Category: You may create your own categories, enter it here.
  5. Start Date: Enter the date this tax is applicable.
  6. End Date: Enter the date the tax should no longer applicable.
  7. Status: Use the drop down box to designate whether the tax is active or inactive.
  8. Description: Describe how the tax will work to achieve its purpose.
  9. Apply tax to all core services by default: Check the box to apply.
  10. Allow cores to exempt specific charges from tax: Check the box to allow core administrators to not charge tax for specific charges.
  11. Allow cores to control tax application: Check box if core administrators should be allowed to apply the taxes as they see fit.
  12. Reasons for Exemptions: Enter the reasons a core service may be exempt from taxes.
  13. Applicable to Price Types: You may indicate that this tax may apply to specific price groups (i.e. corporate).
  14. Applicable to Payment Options: You may indicate that this tax only applies to specific payment options (i.e. credit card, check, etc.).

Note: Only sections with a red asterisk are required.

When you have completed the sections for the new tax, click Save .


Edit/Delete an Existing Tax

To edit an existing tax, click on the pencil icon to the right of the tax you need to edit.

This will open the tax settings that you originally set when creating the tax and you will able to edit the needed fields. Once your changes are complete, click Save .

To delete a tax, click the x to the right of the tax you want to remove.

You will be prompted with a message to confirm you would like to delete the tax, click OK to confirm.

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iLab — Reporting

Reporting

Roles: Institutional Administrator

Reporting

As an Institution Administrator you have the ability to run reports for your entire institution. You can access reporting from the Institution Dashboard or through the link in the left side menu.

When you click the Reporting tab from the institution dashboard you will be directed to the page to begin running institutional reports. If you click the Reporting link in the left side menu you will be directed to the Reporting Home page, where you can choose what level reporting you would like to run.

For more information about the reporting feature, please see Reporting .

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iLab — Customer Surveys

Customer Surveys

Role: Institution Administrator

The Customer Surveys tab in each institution allows you, the Institution Administrator, to create custom surveys to poll users in their experience with the core facilities at your institution. The customer survey tool will allow you to identify users of selected facilities over a selected period of time to survey or select specific service provided by core facilities to survey about. All survey results are saved and can be exported to a csv file.


Navigate Customer Surveys Tab

  1. Name of Survey: The name of the survey is for internal use to distinguish between surveys at your institution and not visible to customers.
  2. Survey Type: This indicates the type of survey, Service-Specific or Facility Experience.
  3. Last Campaign Status: This is the status of the most recent campaign you ran in the survey.
  4. Last Campaign Date: This is the date and time of the most recent campaign in the survey.
  5. Campaigns: The total number of campaigns that have ran in the survey.
  6. Responses Collected: The total number of responses collected from all campaigns.
  7. Links: The links will take you to the three survey pages.
    • Pencil Icon: This will take you to the survey design page where you can edit questions, the name of the survey and more.
    • Plane Icon: This icon will take you to the campaigns page of the survey. Here you will be able to end campaigns and add new ones.
    • Graph Icon: This icon will take you to survey reporting.
  8. New Survey Button: Click this button to begin creating a new survey.

Create New Survey

To create a new customer survey click on the button, + New Survey .

After clicking the + New Survey button a pop up will open to create a new survey.

  1. Name Survey: Type the name of your new survey in this free text field. The name of the survey is for internal use to distinguish between surveys at your institution and not visible to customers.
  2. Choose Survey Type : Select the type of survey you want to create. The Facility Experience Survey allows you to poll users on their general experience with a core facility. The Service-Specific Survey allows you to continually poll users about specific experiences with equipment reservation and service requests.
  3. Create Survey: Click the create survey button once you have completed the survey name and type.

Add Survey Questions

Once you have created your survey you will be prompted to add questions to you customer survey. Up to 20 questions can be added per survey. To add a question, click on the + Add a Question button.

Delete

Note

If your survey has 20 questions the + Add a Question button will not be displayed.


Once you click the + Add a Question button a pop up will open prompting you to select the type of question you would like to add. After selecting the question type click Add.

After clicking Add, your question will open in edit mode within your survey.

Five Star Rating

  1. Question Field: In this free text field type the question.
  2. Duplicate Icon: Click on this icon to duplicate the question you have in edit mode.
  3. Trash Icon: Click on the trash icon to remove the question. A pop up will open to confirm you would like to delete the question from the survey. If a question is deleted once a survey has been sent all responses to the question will be lost.
  4. Add 'Not Applicable' option: Mark this check box to add a 'Not Applicable' option as the answer to the current question.
  5. Required: Turn on the required to option to prevent customers from moving on to the next question without answering the current one. 'Not Applicable' is considered an answer and will allow a customer to proceed with the survey.
  6. Save: Click Save once you have made the needed edits to the question.

Comment Box

  1. Question Field: In this free text field type the question.
  2. Duplicate Icon: Click on this icon to duplicate the question you have in edit mode.
  3. Trash Icon: Click on the trash icon to remove the question. If a question is deleted once a survey has been sent all responses to the question will be lost.
  4. Required: Turn on the required to option to prevent customers from moving on to the next question without answering the current one.
  5. Save: Click Save once you have made the needed edits to the question.

Once you have saved your questions they will be added to your survey.


Create Survey Campaign

A campaign is defined as a period of time when users can respond to the survey. The campaign starts when the you send it out and can be ended manually when a sufficient number of responses have been received or a decided on amount of time has passed.

When the survey design is complete, click on the Go to Campaign button at the bottom of the survey.

On the Campaigns page of the survey click the + New Campaign button.

Once you click on the + New Campaign button, the Create Campaign page will open.

Facility Experience Survey Campaign

For a Facility Experience Survey, complete the campaign form which includes selecting the Core Facility(ies) you would like survey users about.

  1. Campaign Name: Type the name for the campaign in the free text field.
  2. Campaign Type: There are two campaign types, Email and Pop-up. One survey can have both campaign types or campaigns but not running at the same time.
    • Email: The email campaign type will send out an email to the defined users with a link to access the survey.
    • Pop-up: The pop-up campaign type will appear on the core page for returning customers for as long as the campaign is open or until they complete the survey.
  3. User Types: Click if the survey will be sent to facility user, user financial contacts, or you can select both user types.
  4. Core Facilities: Select specific core facilities or 'All Facilities' that the survey applies to.
  5. Period: From the drop down choose an option to indicate when the users being survey have lasted used the core facility.
  6. Next Button: After you have completed all sections click, Next .

After you click next you will be direct to create either the email to send out the survey or the wording in the survey pop-up.

Service-Specific Survey Campaign

For a Service-Specific Survey, complete the campaign form which includes selecting the service(s) you would like survey users about.

  1. Campaign Name: Type the name for the campaign in the free text field.
  2. Services: The services section contains the full list of services across facilities that you can include in the survey.
  3. Filter Service List: The filter will default to having all core facilities and service types selected. You can narrow the service list by unchecking core facilities and/or service types, then clicking Apply Filters.
  4. Service List: All services that meet the filters set will be displayed. Click the check box at the top of the list to include all shown services in the survey or check the individual checkboxes to select the services you would like to survey on.
  5. Add Selected Services: Click the Add Selected Services button to included the checked services in the survey.

  1. Selected Services: All the services you checked to include in your survey will be shown in this list.
  2. Trash Icon: Click the trash icon to remove a service from the list.
  3. Next Button: After you have completed selecting the services, click Next.

After you click Next, you will be directed to create the survey email for your campaign. The email invitations for the survey are sent automatically only after users have completed the service – a reservation has ended, or a service request has been completed.

Survey Email

  1. Email Subject: Type the subject line in the free text field.
  2. Email Body: Compose the body of the survey email and the link back to the survey will be automatically added once sent. You can type %{core_name} to generically refer to a core facility. In each individual email copy, the system will automatically substitute it with the name of the facility each user is being invited to rate.
  3. Save as Template: You can save the email body as a template to use in future campaigns.
  4. Use Existing Template: Click the Use Existing Template button to insert a saved email from a previous campaign.
  5. Schedule Email: Leave the box checked to send the email immediately, if there is a large number of users to survey the email may take a few minutes to complete sending. You can uncheck the box to schedule a date and time to have the email sent. This feature is only available for Facility Experience Surveys.
  6. Back: Click the Back button to return to the Create Campaign page.
  7. Send Campaign: Once you have completed your email, click Send Campaign.

Once you click the Send Campaign button the Status will show Sending if you checked the box Send Now.

If you selected a future date and time to send the email, the Status will show Scheduled.

After the survey email has been sent to users the status will update to Open.

Survey Pop-up

  1. Custom Text: Add text to the pop-up explaining the survey to users.
  2. Back: Click the Back button to return to the Create Campaign page.
  3. Enable Pop-Up: Click on the Enable Pop-Up button to start the survey campaign.

After clicking the Enable Pop-Up button the campaign status will be Open.


Edit Customer Survey

After creating a survey you can go back and edit it as needed. To edit the survey click on the pencil icon under the Links section.

After clicking on the pencil icon, the survey design page will open.

  1. Edit the survey name.
  2. Edit the survey greeting text.
  3. Use the arrows to move questions up or down in the survey.
  4. Edit a specific survey question.
  5. Add a question to the survey.
  6. Go to the campaign page of the survey.

View Campaigns

For a survey you can view all associated campaigns by clicking on the plane icon under the Links section.

After clicking on the plane icon you will be directed to the Campaigns page.

  1. Pencil Icon: This will allow you to edit the name of the survey.
  2. New Campaign Button: Click on the New Campaign button to create a campaign for the survey. The button will not be available if there is an open campaign.
  3. Campaign Name: Click on the hyperlink name to access the campaign summary. On the campaign summary page you can end the campaign and send a reminder email if the campaign type is email. The reminder email will only be sent to customers that have not completed the survey.
  4. Status: Under the status section you can see the current status of each campaign and will have a hyperlink to End Campaign of an open campaign.

View Survey Reports

Survey reports can be viewed at any time by clicking on the graph icon to the right of the survey.

After clicking the graph icon the Reporting page will open.

  1. Filters: The filters will allow you to narrow the results shown in the graph and limit the data included if you choose to export to a csv. By default all filter values are selected except for Campaigns, where only the most recent campaign is selected.
  2. Graph: The graph shows the results for the filters applied and the option selected from the visualization drop down. The graph only shows averages and all response details can be reviewed by exporting a csv.
  3. Visualization Drop Down: The visualization drop down allows you to modify the graph to show the average scores per questions, campaigns, core facilities, or user types.
  4. Export CSV: A csv can be exported to review all response details. The export will only contain the results from the applied filters. The available fields in the report are:
    • Date of response
    • Core rated
    • User role
    • User name, email, and institution
    • Campaign start date
    • One column for each question with the corresponding rating or response
  5. Reset Filters: The reset filter button will change all the filters back to the default.
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iLab — Settings

Settings

Role: Institution Administrator

The Settings tab in each institution allows you, the Institution Administrator, to define settings that will apply to the entire institution. The institution's Settings tab is accessed through the Institution Dashboard . To navigate to a specific section in settings,  use the table of contents on the left side.

NOTE: The sections listed my differ based on your institution's initial configuration.


Downloads

Click on the Download button to receive a .csv file of the data from your whole institution.


Publish Landing Page

This setting allows you to Publish or Unpublish your external institution landing page. To view what your landing page looks like in the preview or live mode, click the here links.


Institution Controls

  1. Institution Logo: This is the logo link for your institution or organization, which is displayed in your About our Institution or organization tab as well as on invoices. If you would like to change your logo, contact iLab Support .
  2. Manage Requested Note: Enter a note to appear on the administrator's Managing Request page.
  3. Send notifications on rejected lab access requests: Indicate if institution administrators should receive an email when a lab manager within their institution rejects a request for membership. The institution administrator can recall and accept the rejected request, if desired.
  4. Show payment information column on view requests: Indicate if a payment information column should be visible on the view requests page. The view requests page can be accessed through the top left menu link.
  5. Include everyone when displaying ordered times history: Indicate whether to include everyone when displaying ordered times history.

Landing Page

Please contact iLab Support to update/edit any of the landing page settings below.


Billing

  1. Service item pre approval amount: Enter the amount to auto-approve service requests up to, this will be the default for all internal groups but can manually be changed in the individual group settings .
  2. Fiscal year starts: Indicate when your institution's fiscal year starts.
  3. Valid reasons for invoice approval by an institution administrator: Enter valid reasons for invoice approval by an administrator. Separate reasons with an "|". NOTE: This setting is visible if you have invoice approval setting turned on.
  4. Require justification for non-billable and pro-bono charges: Indicate if the institution should require justification for non-billable or pro-bono work. If the answer is YES, enter valid justification reasons in the next field.
  5. Valid justifications for non-billable and pro-bono charges: Enter valid reasons for non-billable and pro-bono charges. Separate reasons with an "|".
  6. Require justification for flexible charges: Indicate if the institution should require justification for flexible charges. If the answer is YES, enter valid justification reasons in the next field. NOTE: Flexible charges are charges that are not listed as a service fee.
  7. Valid options for flexible charges justification: Enter valid reasons for flexible charges justification. Separate reasons with an "|".
  8. Add Pre-Invoice and Final Invoice to invoices: Indicate if a pre-invoice and final invoice should be added to invoices. A pre-invoice is a list of charges sent to the customer after the work has been completed. It gives the customer the opportunity to dispute charges before the final invoice is sent. A final invoice consists of the charges that remain after any disputes have been resolved with the pre-invoice.
  9. Allow Invoices to be Detached from Billing Event: Indicate if the institution should allow invoices to be separated from a billing event and re-associated to a different billing event in the future.
  10. Allow Core Managers to Detach Invoices from a Billing Event: Indicate if the institution should allow core administrators/managers to detach invoices from a billing event. If not turned on, only institutional administrators and institutional financial managers may detach an invoice.
  11. Allow Invoices to be Disputed: Indicate if the institution should allow customers to be able to dispute a final invoice, indicate YES in this field.
  12. Allow Core Managers to Resolve Charge Disputes: Indicate if the institution should allow core administrators/managers to resolved invoice disputes.
  13. Valid reasons for invoice dispute: Enter the valid reasons customers may select for an invoice dispute. Separate reasons with an "|".
  14. Receive dispute notifications: Indicate who should receive email notification when an invoice has been disputed. In the case above, the iLab Administrators for this core will receive the invoices.
  15. Require a file attachment for standing purchase orders: Indicate if the institution requires a file to be attached when creating or updating a standing purchase order.

Payment Methods and External Purchase Orders

Turn this on to display Pay Now on invoices and allow a single payment method to be entered for the invoice.


Core Controls

  1. Google analytics ID for external page: Enter Google analytics ID (UA-XXXXX-X).
  2. Allow cores to create billing files or invoices?: Turn on if core administrators/managers are allowed to create billing events containing the billing file and invoices.
  3. Ready for review billing event notification email addresses: Type in the name of the administrator that should receive notifications when a billing event is marked as ready for review. Note: this setting is only an option when the setting Allow cores to create billing files or invoices? is turned off.

Misc

  1. Text for Login Page for institutions with integration: Enter the text you would like to appear on the login page.
  2. Note for Lab Page header: Enter the text you would like to appear on the lab page as a header.

Manage Non-iLab Cores

Enter information for non-iLab cores to be displayed on your institution landing page. Click Save once you have completed all needed information.


Core Landing Descriptions

Enter a description for each iLab core to be displayed on the institution's landing page. Click Save when complete.


Landing Page Settings

Enter information to customize your institution's landing page.  The text will appear on the About Our Institution landing page. Click Save once you have added the wanted information.




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iLab Support

Managing a Core

iLab Support

iLab — Overview of Managing a Core

Overview of Managing a Core

Roles: Core Administrator, Core Staff

Core Administrators and their staff are responsible for managing all aspects of a core. This includes maintaining the services and resources offered, managing requests and reservations, completing billing events, running reports and managing settings as needed. The first step in this process is learning to access and navigate your iLab site.


Access your core

To access your core, either hover over the "my core" link on the left-side navigation and then select the core from the pop-up, or click on the "my core" link and then select the core from the list on the right.  If you are administrator to only one core, the name of your core will appear in place of the 'My Cores' link.



Navigate your core

Upon entering your site you will see numerous tabs across the top right side.

For more information about the various tabs and functionality, please refer to:

  • About Our Core : View and modify the entry page to your core
  • Schedule Equipment : View your calendars, manage the resources offered by the core and manage reservations
  • Request Services : Manage the services offered by the core and initiate requests
  • View All Requests : View and manage service requests
  • Reservations : View current and upcoming reservations across schedules
  • People : Manage customers, send communications and set training levels
  • Reporting ‍: Create and view reports on activity in your core
  • Billing ‍: Generate billing events and invoices for completed work
  • Administration : Manage customer pricing, custom forms, core memberships and various core settings

Certain cores may have additional modules enabled on their iLab site. Contact Support ‍ if you would like to learn more about these modules (note: additional charges may apply).

iLab Support

iLab — Editing About Our Core

Editing About Our Core

Role: Core Administrator

The About Our Core ‍ tab is used to manage the information that displays to users about your facility.  This is the only page of your site that is viewable without being logged into the iLab application. Editing this page can be broken down into six sections:


About Our Core Layout

The layout of the About My Core tab is illustrated below. The fields on this page can be edited by clicking on the pencil icon on the right.

  1. Description : A section that can contain a description of your core, instructions, notes, etc.
  2. Map : A map of your location to easily generate direction for your customers
  3. Contacts : A list of key core contacts

Edit Name and Description

The name of the core can be edited in the Name field.  The Description section below is a free text panel that can contain any information you would like to display about your core.

A few style tips:

  • The formatting in the editor is different from the final "saved" version. You will typically want to iterate between edit and the final version to see how everything looks. A preview of the styles once saved:
  • Heading format: Make sure to apply headings only on a single line; if applied across line breaks you’ll see multiple horizontal lines after saving.
  • Plain text: Paste any blocks of text content as plain text so that any foreign formatting is stripped. Then style as you want.
  • Images: You can insert images by using an image URL. This helps to decrease page loading time and allows for edits of image size.
  • Hyperlinks : Use the "chain" icon to insert a hyperlink into the description. This brings up the following pop-up:
    • Url : the location that the user will sent to when they click the link
    • Text to display : The text that shows on the current page (which will be blue to indicate it is a hyperlink)
    • Title : The optional field will typically show as tool tip or hover-over in most browser (i.e. a little pop-up that shows when the user has the mouse pointer over the link)
    • Target : Can either be "None" (the link opens in the current window, i.e. replacing the iLab window) or "New Window" (the link opens in a new window or tab, leaving the iLab window in tact).
  • Viewing changes: Once you have saved your changes, be sure to view changes internally on the 'About our Core' tab and also externally when not logged into iLab.

Don't forget to save any changes with the "Save Service Center" button at the very bottom of the screen.


Edit Maps

You can use this section to show an interactive Google Maps window with the location of your core (or to simply show the address of your core).

To begin mapping your location, click on ' click here to access googlemaps '.

Once on Google Maps ' website, search for the directions, map, or Street View image you want to add to your Core page. Click on 'Menu' icon, then on 'Share or embed map'.

Copy the link provided in the Embed a map tab, and paste it into the text editor field under the Maps section, back on the About our Core settings page.


A detailed step by step provided by Google can be found here .


Edit Contacts

You may add as many contacts as you wish. To add a contact, click on the green plus sign. To delete a contact, click on the red X beside the contact you would like to remove.


Edit Classification

You may select multiple classifications for your core that allow for your site to be searched in other areas of iLab. The classifications are pulled from the eagle-i-ontology classification system. The iLab system will begin to search the eagle-i-ontology database after you have entered two letters. Select the correct classification from the drop-down box to associate it with your site.


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iLab — Inserting An Image

Inserting An Image

Role: Core Administrator

Images can be inserted in your core in an several places, some of them are the About Our Core page, the description for a schedule, and headers on Service Request and Schedule Equipment pages.


Create an Image URL

To insert an image you will need to have an image URL. URLs for images can be created through software such as WordPress and Photobucket. If you choose to use Photobucket, you will need to create an account, then create an album you can add your images to, where you can then share the image URLs. Below are helpful articles from Photobucket to get you started.

If you need assistance creating image URLs contact the iLab Support Team .


Insert Image

Once you have an image URL you will use it to insert an image into iLab. Navigate to the appropriate settings page for where you want to insert the image, settings pages are accessed by clicking the pencil icon on the page or feature you need to edit.

After clicking the pencil icon the settings and editor fields will open. Description and free text fields include the option to insert an image. Click on the Insert/edit image icon.

The Insert/edit image box will open, in the Source section paste the image URL, click Ok .

The image will now show in the description field. You can adjust the size manually by clicking on the image and dragging the squares on the corner of the image. Once you are finished, click Save .

Your image will now show on the needed page.


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iLab Support

Schedule Equipment

iLab — Overview of Schedule Equipment

Overview of Schedule Equipment

Role: Core Administrator

As a core administrator, the Schedule Equipment tab is used to create reservations, perform usage uploads, view and confirm usage, and edit calendar settings for core equipment. This page can also be accessed by core customers to create reservation(s) on equipment (see Schedule Equipment ), though various functions and options used by administrators will not be available to customers. If scheduling has been enabled within your core, the Schedule Equipment tab will be displayed after accessing the core. The Schedule Equipment tab is accessed from your core's homepage . Because this tab can be renamed in the administrative Scheduling ‍ settings, it may be labeled differently within your core.


Layout of the Schedule Equipment tab

The Schedule Equipment interface is divided into two sections:

  1. A top panel of general scheduling options
  2. A bottom panel which includes panels for individual schedule options

General Scheduling Options

The general scheduling option panel provides several management tools:

  1. Description : A general description or set of instructions can be added as a header. For example, this could describe certain policies, specific instructions or other notes for the users that would help them make reservations. This panel can be edited by the Core Administrator by clicking on the pencil icon on the far-right (circled). This will display a rich-text editor. Click "Save" once you are done editing.
  2. Go to Kiosk: The Go to Kiosk button displays only if a core has kiosk enabled. Clicking this button will open up the kiosk interface and provide easy access to the kiosk dashboard url. It can be used by the core to manage kiosk setting and to make or start reservations from the kiosk dashboard. This button is also visible to users. For more information on the kiosk, refer to Managing Kiosk Settings ‍ .
  3. Timeline View: The timeline view button will show if the timeline setting has been turned on in the Scheduling Settings interface. This button allows for users and core administrators to view all instruments from a birds eye view.
  4. Confirm Usage: The confirm usage interface allows core administrators to review and modify usage across reservations from all customers within one viewpoint. For more information, refer to Confirm Usage ‍.
  5. Message Customers : This interface is used to send e-mails to selected users who have reservations scheduled during a specific date range. For more information, refer to Message Customers (Reservations) ‍.
  6. More: Various advanced options are available under the more button, as discussed below:

  1. Sort manually: this option let's you organize the order of the categories, and the order of the schedules within each category. Drag either categories or individual schedules using the green crossed arrows to change their order. Note that you cannot move a schedule to another category here; this requires changing the schedule's category by Editing Equipment Settings ‍ . Click "Finish sorting" once you are done.
  2. Add schedule: Provides a blank template to populate for a new calendar being added. Instructions for adding a new schedule can be found at Schedule Settings
  3. Manage Interlocks : Provides access to interlock settings, as discussed further in Managing Kiosk Settings ‍.
  4. Manage Usage Capping : Allows a core to impose a maximum amount of time on a reservation. For more information see Usage Capping Overview ‍ .
  5. Manage Volume Discounts : Allows a core to define discounts for larger amounts of usage. For more information see Managing Volume Discounts ‍.
  6. Manage Permission Levels: Allows the core to add and sort permission groups that users can be assigned to.

Individual Schedule Options

Each piece of equipment has a number of actions and settings:

  1. View Schedule : Opens the calendar interface to view current reservations, edit existing reservations, or create new reservations. For more information, see Managing Reservations ‍.
  2. Review usage : Provides access to the older review/confirm usage interface that allows a Core Administrator to review and confirm usage on a schedule-by-schedule basis. For more information, see Review Usage ‍.
  3. Upload usage :  Allows a core to upload usage data into a calendar using a specific file format, when actual usage is tracked outside of the iLab system.  Refer to Upload Usage ‍ for additional information on the Upload Usage tool.
  4. Take Offline: Takes equipment offline so it is not available for reservations during the specified time range. Click the "Take Offline" button. Select an end date and time, then click the blue arrow to set a specific date range the instrument will remain offline. You can also select "Until further notice" to take the equipment offline until manually put online again. For equipment that has been taken offline, the "Take Offline" button will change to a "Put Online" button that will immediatly reactivate the schedule when selected.
  5. Adv. Attributes: This option will only display if Configurable Reservations are enabled by an iLab Associate. A configurable reservation provides advanced attributes that allow the core to set up specific parameters for a calendar. For more information, refer to Managing Configurable Reservations ‍.
  6. Adv. Scheduler: This option will only display if Configurable Reservations are enabled by an iLab Associate.  For more information, refer to Managing Configurable Reservations ‍.
  7. Edit schedule : Click on the "pencil" icon to edit the settings for this schedule. For more information, see Editing Schedule Settings ‍.
  8. Favorite : Click on the "heart" icon to mark this equipment as a favorite for easy reference. For more information, see Managing Favorites ‍.
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iLab — View Schedule

View Schedule

Role: Core Administrator

To reserve time on a calendar, access the Schedule Equipment tab through the core's direct link or your homepage, then click on the View Schedule button to the right of the calendar name to open the calendar interface . As a core administrator, you will be able to view the calendar for each resource and make edits to existing reservations as necessary. For more information, please refer to the following links on Making a Reservation or how to access the Schedule Equipment ‍ tab from your My Core Homepage.


View a Reservation

To access the calendar for a resource, click on the "View Schedule" button to the right of the calendar name, as displayed below.

This will open the calendar interface:

Each element is discussed below:

  1. Core Name: You can return to the main Schedule Equipment tab for the core by clicking the core's hyperlinked name.
  2. Add to Favorites : Click the heart icon to add this calendar to your favorite list. Favorites can be viewed in the My Reservations tab on the left hand menu. For more information, see Managing Favorites .‍
  3. Resource Description : Click to view a description of the equipment.
  4. Edit Equipment Settings: Click the gear icon to navigate to the Schedule Settings .
  5. Confirm Usage : The Confirm Usage button will direct you to the confirm usage page pre-filtered for the schedule you are currently viewing. The yellow circle on the Confirm Usage button indicates there are unconfirmed events.
  6. Calendar Notes: You may add a note to this header section in the schedule settings Calendar Notes , to display special instructions or notes you want visible to the user.
  7. Time Frame: Select the time frame or view in which you would like the schedule to be shown in (Day, Week, Month, or Multi View). Multi View shows a single-day view that lists all the separate instances of a resource (e.g. if a core has multiple physical instance of the same equipment, they may show them all on a single schedule and allow the user to pick a specific instance when they make a reservation )
  8. Calendar: Click the calendar to navigate to a specific date.
  9. Export to PDF: Click the printer icon to export the schedule to a PDF.
  10. Forward/Backward : move forward (">") or backward ("<") in time, in steps equal to the chosen time frame on the calendar.
  11. Linked Calendar: Click the button to show other relevant schedules.
  12. Calendar Details: The Calendar Details button opens a popup with additional information on availabilities, pricing and event color codes.
    • Green Events: Your future reservations.
    • Purple Events: Your past reservations.
    • Red Events: If the equipment is unavailable for a selected amount of time.
    • Orange Events: In some cases, cores require core approval for reservations. If you have reserved time on the calendar that requires core approval, that event will be in orange. When the reservation has been approved you may receive an email and you will see the event turn to purple.
    • Grey: Reservations made by others.
    • White: Reservations that have been canceled or are no shows.
  13. Schedule : Shows all reservations on the schedule for the currently selected resource.

If your schedule shows an additional set of filters at the very top of the calendar, refer to the section on configurable reservations .


Edit a Reservation

As a core admin, you can view and edit any past or future reservations currently on your calendar. To do this, click on the menu icon to the left of the reservation or double click on the reservation to open the reservation details page (below). You may also hover over the reservation to view important event information.

The reservation details window will display, giving you access to review or edit the reservation. Refer to the Schedule Equipment article for more information on editing a reservation.‍

Click "Save Reservation" to save the updated reservation details.

To learn more about making reservations, please see the following topics:


Delete/Cancel a Reservation

As a core administrator, you typically have two options available to remove reservations.

  • Delete reservation : This option will completely delete the reservation and release the reserved time. No record of the reservation is kept for billing or reporting purposes.
  • Cancel reservation : This option will cancel the reservation and release the time slot for other users. However, it will leave a "ghost" cancelled reservation in place that can be used for billing and reporting purposes. Additionally, the cancellation may trigger a cancellation fee if defined in the Scheduling Settings ‍. As an administrator, you have some flexibility to either change the amount of the fee or waive the fee altogether:



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iLab — Add, Edit or Remove a Schedule

Add, Edit or Remove a Schedule

Role: Core Administrator

As a Core Administrator you are able to Add, Edit and Remove Schedules in your core. All of these actions are initiated from the Schedule Equipment tab.


Add a New Schedule

As a Core Administrator you can add new schedules to your core's page. To add a new schedule to your core, click on the More button to open the advanced options for the Schedule Equipment tab. One of the options will be Add Schedule, click this button to start creating your new schedule.

After you click the Add Schedule button the Schedule Settings will open where you will define the specific functions of the schedule. Along the top you will see an indicator for the settings that are required when creating a new schedule.

In the Usage Types & Pricing section click the + New usage type button to add usage types, availability and pricing.

Within the new usage type click the + New usage schedule to add the days and times the schedule will be available.

Once you select the days and set the available times for the schedule, click Save .

At least one price type must be available for the usage type. Here you can set the price(s) for each price type and the dates if needed. When you have completed the information for the usage type, click Save usage type .

These settings are required but there are many other setting you may need to change in order to have the scheduled function as needed for your core. The Schedule Settings article provide information on all the equipment settings.


Edit a Schedule

To edit the current settings of a existing schedule, click on the blue pencil icon to the right of the View Schedule button. This will open the Schedule Settings , the sections are listed along the left side. After making changes to a section, click Save before navigating away from the section changed.


Remove a Schedule

To remove a schedule, open the Schedule Settings using the blue pencil icon. Once the settings are open you will be directed to the General Settings section and within this the last sub-section is Remove Schedule. To proceed with deleting the schedule click the button Remove Schedule .

A confirmation prompt will be displayed for you to confirm that you would like to permanently delete the schedule, as this action cannot be undone. There is also the option to take a schedule offline if you do not want to permanently delete the schedule.


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iLab — Schedule Settings

Schedule Settings

Role: Core Administrator

Each iLab calendar is built independently and configured with its own set of rules and restrictions. As a core administrator, you can maintain and edit settings for the calendar(s) within your core at any time, or contact support ‍ for help. Below is a list of each section within the calendar template.

Note: This is a long article. To return to the top of the page use CTRL + Home (PC) or ⌘ + ↑ (Mac).


Access Schedule Settings

From the Schedule Equipment tab, calendars can be edited by clicking the blue pencil icon located to the right of the View Schedule button.

Within the schedule settings, each panel of editing sections will display on the left. Click on the setting, or use the search engine, to find specific editing sections.

Helpful tips - Each editing panel within a page will need to be saved individually. Most settings have help text to explain the functionality of the setting. Hover the 'i' icon beside the field to review available help text.


General Settings

Basic Information

  • Schedule Name: Enter a name for the calendar.
  • Scheduled Resource Description: This text is displayed to the customer on the calendar interface. You can utilize this text section by providing an  explanation of the resource, an image of the resource , billing information, or directions on scheduling.
  • Category: Allows you to group calendars into categories. To create a new category, click in the category drop down and select Add new category, this will create a free text text below where you can type in the name of the new category. NOTE: If you would like your calendars displayed in categories, please contact iLab, as an additional setting needs to be enabled.
  • Time Zone : Enter the time zone to be used for scheduling purposes. By default, this will be set to your institution's time zone. This setting will override the user's personal time zone setting when scheduling on the calendar.
  • Classification : Assign a classification to the schedule that can be used to more effectively search for it. Available classification terms are derived from the Eagle I Resource Ontology Set.
  • Calendar Notes: You can add a note here that will display above the calendar on the View Schedule page.
  • Customer Instructions for Reservation Details : Instructions entered here will be displayed to the customer at the top of the Reservation Details page. For more information about the Reservation Details page, please refer to the Schedule Equipment ‍ article.

Multiple Instances

Multiple instances allows cores to create multiple calendars for resources within a single calendar interface.  Users can then view all calendars at one time to schedule on the available resource. NOTE: The same calendar pricing and restrictions will apply to each instance. For example, if you have multiple PCR machines, you could enter each PCR machine as a separate row within the 'Configure Multiple Instances' section with the names "PCR 1", "PCR 2", "PCR3".

Custom Forms

Custom forms can be included when creating a reservation to capture preliminary information from the customer. Cores can create multiple custom forms and link them to individual schedules.  When the user creates a reservation, the form will display in the 'Required Forms' section on the Reservation Details page. Form fields can be required or not to complete prior to submitting the reservation. To manage the forms available to the core, refer to Custom Forms ‍.

  • Include custom form on reservations detail page? (Y/N): Indicate whether any custom forms associated with this resource will be displayed on the reservations details page.
  • Display a custom form when scheduling maintenance on this resource? (Y/N): Indicate whether a custom form should display when a maintenance reservation is created.

Notifications

  • Send reminder emails for reservations?: Select from the drop down the amount of time prior to a reservation when the user should receive a reminder email about their reservation.

  1. Subscribed Users : The subscribing users feature allows core staff who are subscribed core members on a specific calendar to receive notifications for all settings selected on the admin panel.
  2. S ubscribed core members: This section displays a list of core members that have subscribed to this calendar.
  3. Subscribe other core members to this resource: Select what core members you want to subscribe to the calendar. All members of the core  will display as an option. Click on the 'subscribe' button beside their name to add them as a subscriber to this calendar. The subscribed member's name will display in the 'Subscribed core members' list. For more information on managing members of your core, please refer to the Members ‍ article.
  4. Click ' Save ' to save  subscribed core members.

General Update Reservation

  • Update service name for reporting : This will update all charges associated with this calendar so they will be grouped in Reporting under the current service name (i.e. instance name).  Please note: this action cannot be undone.

Remove Schedule

Click this button if you would like to delete the calendar/schedule completely. You will be prompted a second time to confirm you want to permanently delete the calendar. If current reservations exist on the calendar, you will need to type in the name of the resource to confirm deletion. Please note: this action cannot be undone.


Calendar Display

  • Scale hour on schedule?: Check this box if you would like the hour on the schedule (y-axis) to scale to the minimum time step allowed on the calendar.
  • Display usage type names in the background of the calendar: Turn this setting off to disable the written display of usage types as small text in the background of your calendar. This may limit the information immediately available to your customers, especially if they have a color vision deficiency or other sight impairment.
  • Default to multi-view?: Indicate whether you would like the default calendar view to display all calendars when you have multiple instances.
  • Let users see reservation owners: This allows users of the core to see the name and email of the person who created the reservation and is beneficial if cores encourage collaboration among customers.

Public Visibility

  • Display this schedule to the public on your external landing page?: Choose whether to have this schedule, its description, and availabilities be displayed on the core's external landing page.
  • Let public users see the reservation owners?: Choose whether you would like the public to be able to view the owner of reservations.

Restrictions

Time Settings

  • Minimum reservation time : The minimum amount of time the customer can schedule in one session.
  • Maximum reservation time : The maximum amount of time the customer can schedule in one session.
  • Time Step : The increment of time by which the event can be increased or decreased.
  • Use custom start step : Define this field if you would like reservations to start at a specific time in the hour different from the Time Step. For example, if you enter 30, reservations would start on the half hour only: 12:00 or 12:30, 1:00 or 1:30, etc.

User Access

  • Let users create reservations?: If this is set to no, only core administrators will be able to create reservations.
  • Control access and availability of the resource by customer permission: Turn this setting on if this resource uses permission groups to allow different access for different users.
  • Who has basic access to schedule this resource: If the prior setting 'Control access and availability of the resource by customer permission' is turned on, the ability to manage permission groups for the resource is displayed. You can choose to make the resource active to all customers, no customers (staff only), or only specific permission groups.
  • Link to training request: You can select one of the service project templates you have created on the 'Request Services' tab here. This will present a link on the schedules list view to redirect the customer to a training request.
  • Allow all customers to view the calendar?: Turning this setting on allows internal and external customers to view the calendar interface, regardless of their training status.
  • Let users link reservation to a service project?: This setting allows users to assign the reservation to a processing project request. The reservation will then display within the selected project on the view all requests tab.
  • Do reservations require core approval: If set to 'yes' or 'only selected availabilities' reservations can be set to require approval from core staff before customers start their reservations.

Cancellation and Edit Policy

  • How many hours in advance must a user make a reservation?: Enter the minimum number of hours in advance users must schedule a reservation. Example: If 1 is entered, users will be required to schedule at least 1 hour prior to the start of their reservation. This setting may be set at 0 to allow users to schedule up to the minute provided the calendar has availability.
  • Edit/cancellation period : How many hours in advance of the reservation are required to make changes to the reservation or freely cancel it. Once the Edit/Cancellation Period has passed, users are not able to fully delete the reservation, edit the length of the reservation or edit the start time of the reservation. However, they may be able to cancel the reservation (potentially incurring a cancellation fee) depending on the settings below.
  • Up to how many days in advance can a user make a reservation?: Enter the maximum number of days in advance users can schedule a reservation.
  • Can users cancel after the edit/cancellation period and allow other users to reserve that time?: Turning this setting on allows users to cancel but not delete their reservation during the Edit/Cancellation Period.  Cancelling leaves a "ghost reservation" for the core indicating that the reservation was canceled during the cancellation period. The core can then exercise their cancellation policy if the time was not re-booked by another user.
  • Allow cancel approved?: Define whether a reservation that requires core administration approval can be canceled after approval has been obtained. Turning this setting on allows the user to cancel their approved reservation prior to the Edit/Cancellation period.
  • Charge a cancellation fee: When this setting is enabled, it provides for two configuration options:
    • Fee structure : Set either to "Flat fee" or "Percentage of reservation total"
    • Fee amount : Select the flat fee amount or percentage, depending on the option chosen above.

Note that cancellation fees only apply if an "Edit/cancellation period" is set and the "Can users cancel after the edit/cancellation period and allow other users to reserve that time?" setting above is enabled. If the user then attempts to cancel during the cancellation window, they will be presented with a pop-up to confirm the cancellation and accept the listed fee (see Schedule Equipment ‍ ). When a canceled event is billed, the invoice will have two lines: one for the event, totaling 0.00, and one for the specified cancellation fee. As a core administrator, you have some flexibility in applying the cancellation fee, as discussed in View Schedule ‍.

With the introduction of cancellation fees, the system will automatically mark cancelled events as not billable. If confirmed, those events can be included in the invoice with 0.00 amount. This way, facilities that do not charge for cancellations can keep their cancellation fee setting off, and cancelled events will be confirmed automatically as no-charge events.

When a core manager need to schedule maintenance events over existing reservations (for example, when the equipment is broken), and they want to indicate that it can’t be used, they have the option to cancel those overlapping user reservations. When events are cancelled like this, cancellation fees will not be applied and there will be no warnings.

Core managers can report on cancelled events using the standard Reporting ‍ interface, using the Event Type filter and selecting the cancelled type.

Buffer Times

Buffer times will automatically block time before and/or after a reservation for required procedures such as cleaning and set up. When turned on the required buffer will be added to all reservations. The buffer times will function as normal reservation times where users are unable to have them overlap another user's reservation, as a Core Admin you will have the ability to bypass this when you create a reservation.

  • Require buffer time before a reservation: When turned on this will automatically add the non-billable buffer time in minutes to the beginning of every reservation.
  • Length of buffer time before a reservation in minutes: Indicate here the buffer time in minutes that will be added to the beginning of all reservations.
  • Require buffer time after a reservation: When turned on this will automatically add the non-billable buffer time in minutes to the end of every reservation.
  • Length of buffer time after a reservation in minutes: Indicate here the buffer time in minutes that will be added to the end of all reservations.

When a reservation is created that contains a buffer, the buffer time will be indicated before and/or after the reservation with an additional time block.

If you hover over the reservation the required buffer will be displayed within the details.

Note: If your schedule has a large time step such as 60 minutes, adding a buffer will impact the number of hours that are available for your users to book. To resolve this you can continue to have the large time step but select the option Use custom start step and set a smaller start time step. This will allow users to continue to make reservation by the time step for example 60 minutes but not require that each reservation start on the hour.


Availability Settings

An availability is a predefined set of circumstances that is defined under the usage type and pricing section. This section allows for you to set limitations and defaults around those usage types to be applied to the calendar.

  • Default usage type for users with no permissions: Select the default usage types that should display when users are not in any permission groups.
  • Default usage type (for Trained users, etc.): Select the default usage types that should display when each permission is shown. This section will populate a number of rows depending on how many permissions have been added (up to 10).
  • Allow spanning availabilities?: This setting controls whether or not customers can schedule events that cross from one availability into another availability (i.e.- peak to non peak hours) . If this setting is turned off, the customer would need to schedule one event for each availability.
  • Instructions for event availability : These instructions can be viewed in the reservations details screen when users are selecting an availability.
  • Use custom availabilities : Turning this setting on allows for core staff and users to be able to schedules ad-hoc reservation at any open time on the calendar. This setting overrides other restrictions placed upon the calendar.

Usage Types & Pricing

A usage type is a predefined reservation type created with specific scheduling and rate parameters. For example, you may allow the usage type "Independent User" to schedule from  8am - 5pm, M-F and set the cost of usage during that time frame to a specific amount. Within each usage type, rates can be set differently for each price types (i.e.- external, internal, corporate) and can differ among different usage types. Core admins can also designate if this availability requires a certain Permission level or approval for users within each usage type.

  • Name of usage type: Name your usage type. Example of frequently used usage types are Independent, Assisted, Peak, After Hours, etc. This is a free text field that can be configured to your site.
  • Background color: Define which color should display on the calendar for this usage type. HINT: Lighter colors are easier to view. Every usage type has a color to help define that particular time frame when viewing the calendar.
  • New usage schedule button: Under the Actions column, use the Edit button to define the days and times for this usage type. Depending on the restriction settings, you can also select whether training or approval is required for this usage type.
  • Custom Fields : If set on the institution level, cores will have the option to set custom billing fields per calendar.
  • Type: Select the price class(es) utilizing this usage type. Price classes are defined at the institution level.
  • Price: Define the per price class for the usage types.
  • Duration price : If enabled by an iLab Associate, you can set the Duration Price field to apply a discounted rate after a specified number of minutes. See Duration Pricing ‍ for more information.
  • Effective Date Starting: Enter a start date for this current rate, if applicable.
  • Effective Date Ending: Enter an end date for this current rate, if applicable.
  • Public: Define whether this usage type should be displayed on the external landing page.

Permissions

Calendars and individual usage types can be set to allow only certain users to schedule depending on the permission group they are part of. Permission groups for users are managed within the calendar edits under the 'Permissions' section.  Groups of users can be added in bulk via the People Tab .

  • Add a User or Group: To add a new user or group, enter the name of the user or user group to search and then select it from the drop down. Then select the permission level that applies to the user or group and click 'Add'.
  • Permissioned users list: This section displays a list of current permissioned users and groups. Use the 'Filter by Permission Level' field to search for existing permissioned users. Users can be removed from the list by selecting the X to the right of their name.

Recurring Events

Recurring reservations are reservations you would like to repeat at the same time on pre-defined days, for a specific amount of time. For example, you may want to schedule a resource every Wednesday from 1pm - 3pm, for the next five weeks.

Recurring Events must first be enabled under the Administration tab of your core. For more information refer to Scheduling Settings ‍ to enable the Recurring Events module, and the Recurring Events Settings ‍ section for more information on a number of specific settings.

Within the calendar edit section of your core, select the Recurring Events panel to manage users you will allow to create recurring events (dependent on the settings set under the Administration tab).


  • Add a recurrent user: If your calendar has been designated to accept recurrent reservations, you may select to only allow specific users access to the recurring reservation functionality. To add a recurrent user, search for the user by typing their name in the text box, then select the appropriate user. Click 'Add' .

Linked Resources

Linked resources are resources needed to be scheduled in tandem. If you decide to link other resources, you may choose to make the linked resource optional or required depending on your workflow needs.

  • Used linked resources?:

If this setting is set to yes, a list of all resources in the core will display. Select from the following options:

  • Display this resource : Select this field if you would like the calendar to display as an option for users to select as a linked resource. Selecting this option does not automatically book the additional resource.
  • Select the resource by default: Select this field if you would like each new reservation to reserve the linked resource by default, but would like for users to be allowed to de-select the linked resource if needed.
  • Require this resource : Select this resource if you would like the linked resource to be automatically booked by default. The user would NOT be able to de-select the linked reservation.

Add-on Charges

Service charges can be added to reservations when needed. As a core admin, you can manage add-on charges by adding default charges to reservations, allowing only specific charges to be added to a reservation, and/or determining if charges are available for customers or only core staff to add.

Add-on charges must first be enabled under the Administration tab of your core by enabling "Allow 'add-on' charges in reservations" in the Scheduling Settings .‍

Once enabled, select the Add-on Charges panel to manage add-on charge details.

Add-on Charges

  • Instructions for event add-on charges: You may enter instructions to direct the user on adding additional charges to the reservation that will display on the reservation details page.
  • Allow to add only selected charges? : You may designate that only specific charges from the Service List are available to add. To do so, click the down arrow to view the list of charges that pull from your Services List. Select the charge you wish to add. The charge will populate in the box above the service list.

  • Let users add charges to reservations: If this is set to no, only core administrators will be able to add charges to reservations. This includes the both the reservation details and the kiosk interface.

Default Add-on Charges

Charges can be added to a reservation by default (Note: The core setting to allow add on charges must be defined as YES). To do so, click the down arrow inside the text box and select the charge you would like added by default. Enter the quantity of this service to be added to each reservation.  You may also select to turn on the 'Public' setting to display this charge on the external landing page if you have made the resource public. Multiple default charges can be added per reservation. If you would like these add-on charges displayed on the Kiosk interface, you will toggle the section to 'Default Add-on for Kiosk'. Be sure to click the 'Save' button to save all changes to this section.


Billing

  • Rounding Setting: This setting will determine how billed time will be rounded to time step increments. The options are No Rounding , Round to the nearest, or Round Up. In the case of the first increment, 'Round to the Nearest' will round up.
  • Never charge : You may select to never charge for this resource.
  • Time tracked in : Select to track time in minutes or hours.
  • Require Payment Information : Indicate whether internal customers must provide a payment number or fund code prior to starting their session. When selecting Core Default , the system will defer to the setting that are set at the core level.
  • Require Payment Information for External Users: Indicate whether an external customer must provide a payment number prior to starting their session. When selecting Core Default , the system will defer to the setting that are set at the core level.
  • Default Charge policy : Indicate the way the system will charge by default: Scheduled time, Logged time, or Maximum time.

Subsidies

NOTE: This setting must be turned on by your iLab Project Manager and requires a financial integration.

A subsidy is a form of financial aid or support extended to an institution to help with the payment of specific elements of scientific research. Subsidies can be applied to the core as a whole or set service by service.

To search existing subsidies, enter the subsidy name in the Search box then press <Enter>. Select the appropriate subsidy from the list that displays.

To learn more about subsidies, click here.


Scans/Sessions

Scans are essentially a stopwatch in the calendar. When scans are turned on, the user can open the reservation and stop/start time as they are utilizing the reservation. Scans are typically used by clinical cores that have prep time and actual test time as part of the reservation. Ex.- MRI operator

  • How do you charge for scans?: Options are By time and By time or service charge.
  • Who is allowed to edit scans? : Options are:
    • No one: Time is not editable by anyone, including core staff.
    • Core employees: Only core employees can create, edit, and delete scans.
    • Core and users: Owners of a reservation and core employees can all edit scans both before and after the fact.

Usage Tracking

Tracking usage on an instrument provides administrators an accurate record of how long a customer used a resource and ensures billing for usage is accurate. This feature allows administrators to track actual event usage and merge scheduled time against logged time. The main tools for usage tracking is the iLab Kiosk, possibly paired with Interlock . Settings related to usage tracking of various kinds are found under the Usage Tracking section in the calendar edits.

Usage Tracker

  • Allow merging of logged time : Check this box if you want to allow users to match actual times to logged times. Matching logged times will be useful if there is a discrepancy between logged time and actual time.
  • This equipment uses iLab credentials for authentication? Indicate that this equipment has the usage tracker installed and that users log into this equipment using their iLab credentials.
  • This equipment uses user managed authentication?: Indicate that this equipment uses a custom username and password pair for login (windows level login).
  • Let users adjust actual usage?: Indicate whether users should be allowed to adjust their actual usage. If this setting is yes, the following fields will display and must be completed:
    • Send email reminders to update actual usage?: If turned on, an email will be sent to the user, reminding them to update their usage.
    • Adjust usage reminders: Determine amount of reminders that should be sent.
    • Adjus t usage reminder frequency: Indicate how often reminders should be sent. Options are daily, weekly, and monthly.

Kiosk

  • Allow Walk-ups : Indicate that this equipment allows walk-up reservations (without a prior reservation scheduled from the calendar interface).
  • Time before walk-out when notifications are sent : Enter the amount of time (in minutes) before an email notification of a walk-out is sent to the user. This is typically because a user forgets to end their session from the kiosk dashboard.
  • Terminate Walk Outs?: Indicate whether reservations determined to be a walk-out should be terminated.
  • Time when reservation is considered abandoned?: Determine how many minutes of inactivity should be allowed before the reservation is considered abandoned (the user did not show up to start their session). After this time period, the reservation will open for other users to make a reservation if walk ups are allowed.
  • How much in advance reservations be started?: Allows the core to set how many minutes in advance can a user begin a reservation (provided there are no other reservations during that time).
  • Time when reservation is considered a walk-out: Set how many minutes of inactivity should be allowed before the reservation is considered a walk-out.

Advanced Attributes

Advanced attributes, used to set up Configurable Reservations , are specific details assigned to a reservation or a resource that go beyond the normal availability for user type and hours of operation. Advanced attributes allow for the core to set up specific parameters for the calendar. Cores with instrumentation that requires significant setup would find the most benefit from this feature. Example: A core can set specific time on the calendar to one configuration (specific microscope head and specific material needed will only be available on Tuesday from 9 am- 3 pm) and then set another time on the calendar for another configuration of the instrument with different materials. Advanced Attributes must be turned on by iLab Support. For more information on configurable reservations, click here .


Reservation Verification Settings

Reservation verification settings allow core administrators more control over their reservations by flagging any reservation missing required information. Flagged reservations will display and can be corrected in Confirm Usage. These options allow validations for time, add-on charges or scans. If you are interested in enabling Reservation Verification Settings , please contact your IA to enable advanced scheduling options. Once enabled, you can set the below calendar edits accordingly.

  • Require logged time: In C onfirm Usage, this setting sets an event's status to 'Invalid' if no actual time has been logged. The source of the actual time will be valid if it is either core edited, user edited, or collected through a usage tracking option.
  • Require at least one add-on charge for the event to be valid?: In Confirm Usage, this sets an event's status to 'Invalid' if there are no add-on charges. Note: In the kiosk interface, if this setting is on, a warning message will display if no charges are added. This will not stop the use of kiosk but will flag this event in confirm usage.
  • Require at least one add-on charge with a positive quantity for the event to be valid? : In Confirm Usage, this sets an event's status to 'Invalid' unless there is at least one add-on charge with a quantity greater than zero.
  • Require all add-on charges to have positive quantities for the event to be valid? : In Confirm Usage, this sets an event's status to 'Invalid' if there are any add-on charges with a quantity of zero.
  • Require at least one scan for the event to be valid?: In Confirm Usage, this sets the event's status to 'Invalid' if there are no scans associated with the reservation.

Warnings on Confirm Usage

  • Show warning if logged time is significantly longer than scheduled time? : Use this setting to flag an event when confirming usage that is considered Significantly Longer . If this setting is turned on, another setting; Show warning when logged time is longer than scheduled by: will be shown . These settings together allow the core to set threshold by percentage or time when they consider a reservation to be significantly longer than originally scheduled . For example, if this is set to 25%, a reservation for two hours will display a warning on confirmed usage when the logged time reached two hours, thirty minutes.
  • Show warning if logged time is significantly shorter than scheduled time?: Use this setting to flag an event when confirming usage that is considered Significantly Shorter . If this setting is turned on, another setting; Show warning when logged time is shorter than scheduled by: will be shown . These settings together allow the core to set threshold by percentage or time when they consider a reservation to be significantly shorter than originally scheduled . For example, if this is set to 25%, a reservation for two hours will display a warning when the logged time is less than one and one half hour.

Flag Events for Review and Verification

Flagging events for review and verification that can automatically add in additional verification prior to confirming usage. By turning on these settings, the core is able to automatically flag events that fall in certain parameters and also determine who should verify the completed events, core or customer.

  • Do completed events require verification? : The core can determine if all events, or only events with warnings and issues will need additional verification.
  • Who should verify completed events? : Core staff or customers can verify completed events. If you would like the core facility staff to receive emails to verify events, select core.
  • Instructions for event verification: This option allows core administrators to add ' Help' text that will display above the 'save' and ' verify' button when reviewing a past events.

Verification of logged time

For cores tracking usage, the below options allows administrators to enable additional warnings on events.

  • When the time source is scheduled: Selecting this option will require verification of all events where the scheduled time is the only source of time.
  • When the time source is log only : Selecting this option will require verification of all events where a log file or usage tracker is the only source of time.
  • When the time course is log match : Selecting this option will require verification of all events where log time has been matched to scheduled time.
  • When the time source is core edited: Selecting this option will require verification of all events where the core facility has edited the log time.
  • When the time source is user edited: Selecting this option will require verification of all events where the core customer has edited the log time.
  • When the logged time is significantly different than the schedule time: Selecting this option will require verification of all events where the log time is significantly different than the scheduled time.

Verification of event

Administrators can choose to require events with add-on charges, scans or required payment information all be verified by administrators in the confirm usage interface.

  • When add-on charges are problematic: Selecting this option will require verification of ALL events where there are problems with add-on charges.
  • When scans are problematic : Selecting this option will require verification of ALL events where there are problems with scans.
  • When payment information is missing : Selecting this option will require verification of ALL events where payment information is missing.
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iLab — Enabling Cancellation Notifications

Enabling Cancellation Notifications

Role: Core Administrators

The Cancellation Notifications feature allows a Core Customer to receive notifications via email when other core customers cancel scheduled reservations on selected calendars for the following thirty days.

This allows a Core Customer with appropriate access to potentially book an available time. It is not a guarantee of availability for all Core Customers, and Cancellation Notifications may not be an option on all calendars.

The setting for Cancellation Notifications is enabled/disabled by the Core Administrator when following the instructions provided on the Enabling Cancellation Notifications page.


Cancellation Notifications Schedule Setting

By default, the setting which allows Core Customers to choose if they would like to receive Cancellation Notifications is ON. Core Administration may wish to disallow users to receive Cancellation Notifications to specific calendars.

Cancellation Notifications can be turned off per calendar by visiting the Schedule Settings and clicking the toggle listed under the Cancellation and Edit Policy to OFF, then clicking the save button.


Turning On Cancellation Notifications

Core Customers must toggle the switch for this setting on each calendar's View Schedule interface to enable Cancellation Notifications. By turning it on, they will subscribe to email alerts when other Core Customers cancel their scheduled reservations.

A user remains subscribed until they turn off the Cancellation Notification toggle.


Core Customers Email Notifications

Subscribed of the Cancellation Notifications are notified via their iLab email address when a reservation is canceled.

The email notification includes:

  1. The name of the calendar;
  2. The canceled reservation time;
  3. And a quick access link to the calendar;

These notifications allow Core Customers with the appropriate access, such as Training/Permissions, Access, Approvals, etc., to take advantage of the newly available time slot.

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iLab — Linked Resources

Linked Resources

Role: Core Administrator

Linked resources are resources that need to be scheduled in tandem. Linked resources can be made as optional or as required based on your facilities workflow. The schedule settings for the for the resources must be similar to ensure that any reservation made meets the limitations of each resource.


Setting Up Linked Resources

To set up a linked resource open the schedule settings of the resource using the Edit Schedule pencil to the right of the View Schedule button on the Schedule Equipment tab. Once you are in schedule settings click on Linked Resources from the left side settings categories. In the Linked Resources section you will have the ability to turned on linked resources for this schedule, select which resources will be displayed as options to book in tandem with this resource and if the linked resource is a default or required.

Once you have selected the resources to link ensure that their schedule settings are similar, this will ensure that the resources can be scheduled together. A few settings to keep in mind are permission levels , minimum and maximum reservation times , and user access . The most restrictive resource will set the limitations for scheduling.


Scheduling Linked Resources

When a user initiates a reservation on a resource that has linked resources the section Reserve time on a linked schedule will be displayed. When a linked resource is available a green check mark will show to the right of the resource, if it is unavailable a red warning circle will show in place of the usage type and pricing. If a resource is required to be scheduled with the current reservation a user will not be able to uncheck the resource. More than one linked resource can be selected from the list as long as a green check mark is present for it.

If a user attempts to make a reservation and the required linked resource is not available, an alert message will be displayed letting them know that they must select a different time. As a core administrator you will have the ability to override selections that users are unable to.

Once the reservation is saved one reservation will show on the initial resources' schedule and also a reservation on the linked resource's schedule. If you hover over the reservation you will see in the details that it has linked reservations. Pricing for each resource will be honored.

Scheduling with Usage Capping

If your core has usage capping set up on the service center level or resource level these rules will continue to apply to linked reservations. The current usage that is already scheduled for a user will show up in the reservation details on by using the View my usage statistics on the Schedule Equipment tab.

If your core has a usage cap of 4 hours for the service center and the user attempts to make a reservation for 3 hours with a linked resource this will count as 3 hours for each resource. They will be unable to save their reservation as their usage cap has been exceeded with their reservation adding up to a total of 6 hours. When the Save Reservation button is clicked, a pop-up warning will be displayed identifying the usage capping issue.

Once a reservation has begun, the total amount of time reserved returns to the user's time allowance for further scheduling.

Viewing Linked Reservations

After scheduling, you can see on the calendar that it is a linked calendar by hovering over the reservation and there is a popup that shows a notification on the bottom, the resource is linked.

Once you turn on linked resources for a schedule you can view reservations from the selected linked resources on the initial schedule by clicking the Linked Calendar button. After clicking the button all the reservations from the resources linked to this schedule will be displayed along side reservations for schedule being viewed.

Click the Linked Calendar button again to stop displaying the reservations from linked resources.


Managing Linked Reservations

Linked reservations will all have a parent reservation and at least one child reservation. The parent reservation will be on the initial schedule the reservation was initiated on. The child reservation(s) will show on the schedule(s) that were selected in the linked resources section when creating the initial reservation. If you need to edit a child reservation it must be done from the parent reservation and all changes made to the parent reservation will be made to the child reservation(s).

If you click the child reservation you will be prompted to determine if you would like to navigate to the parent reservation to make any changes.

Once you click OK you will be directed to the reservation detail for the parent reservation. You can then make the needed changes and click Save Reservation, this will apply the changes to both the parent reservation and child reservation(s).


Billing Linked Usage

Each linked reservation, parent and child reservation(s), will create its own usage line with the calculated cost based on the pricing of the resource. Each individual linked resource usage will need to be confirmed on the Confirm Usage or Review Usage pages before it can be included in a billing event.

If you do not want to charge for the child reservation(s) you can mark the usage as no charge. To do this click on the usage details on the confirm usage page and on the Total Cost tab under Charge Options, turn on No charge for this reservation, select an option from the No charge justification list and click Save . The No charge justification setting may not be present based on your institution's settings. This will not delete the usage but will make the cost zero.

The no charge usage will continue to show on the unconfirmed reservations list. Once the usage is confirmed you can then create a billing event to include the charges associated with the linked reservations.


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iLab — Creating Permission Groups

Creating Permission Groups

Role: Core Administrator

Permission groups have replaced what was formerly trained user levels. Permission groups allow the core to assign users to different groups and then add those groups to usage types that will enable or limit access to a calendar. Permission groups are not hierarchical and can be assigned to multiple usage types. Permission groups are assigned at a core level but users/research groups may be added per resource. For more information on specific calendar settings that have been updated, please see Schedule Settings .‍

The first step in setting up resource calendars is to create permission groups. T hese permission groups will apply across all calendars and will be tied to usage types within each individual calendar. No more than 10 permission groups may be added. To create a permission, navigate to the More button on the Schedule Equipment tab. Click on ‘Manage Permission Levels’.

A new interface will open. This new page will allow up to 10 permissions to be created, edited, and deleted. All cores will have a Trained permission that can be renamed, and each core is required to retain at least one permission level. The system will still utilize a level of Untrained which is not visible on this page. To add a new permission, click on 'New Permission Level'. Add the name of the permission group and click 'Save'.


Validations will ensure permission names are not duplicated. The system will also ensure a permission is not deleted if actively assigned to a group/ person or resource setting. The system will inform the user when this occurs, and the action button will be disabled.

Once all permission levels have been added, you can manage the permissions groups on the following interface.

  1. Go to People Tab: Navigate to the People tab to bulk manage permissions.
  2. Go to Equipment Trainings: Choose and navigate to a specific calendar to manage permissions.
  3. New Permission Level: Add a new permission name up to 10 different permissions. This button will be grayed out if 10 permiss i ons are present.
  4. Three dots: Click and drag on the dots to sort the order of the permissions. Although the permissions are not hierarchical, t his will affect the order the permissions appear in selection lists ( i.e - reservation details for the calendar) .
  5. Edit Pencil: Click the blue edit pencil to edit the name of the permission level.
  6. Delete X: Click the X to delete the permission. The system will not allow you to delete a permission that has users assigned to it.
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iLab — Duration Pricing

Duration Pricing

Role: Core Administrator

Duration Pricing allows cores to reduce pricing for users on longer running reservations. As users schedule time on equipment calendars, they may reach a time threshold when their reservation is eligible for the duration pricing discount. Cores may even reduce the cost to zero after a certain time for the reservation. To indicate the discount rate, the core will enter the rate for each resource, each usage type, and each price type.

Note: Duration Pricing Settings can only be edited by an iLab associate. Contact Support ‍ for more information or to edit the Duration Pricing Settings.


Duration Pricing Settings

The main Duration Pricing Settings are located at the core level under the Advanced Scheduling Settings on the Administration tab. Note: Duration Pricing Settings can only be edited by an iLab associate. Contact Support ‍ for more information or to edit the Duration Pricing Settings.

  • Duration Threshold for duration price on equipment (minutes) : Indicates after how many minutes the duration price will be considered. If this is left blank then Duration Pricing will be considered OFF. If any value is present then Duration Price will be ON for the core.
  • Duration Pricing Eligible Time to Apply toward threshold: Indicates what usage times will be eligible for Duration Pricing.
    • Total reservation time: The entire length of the users reservation is used when calculating when the duration threshold has been met.
    • Discount eligible hours only: Only usage type hours of a users reservation that have a discount price are used when calculating when the duration threshold has been met.

Add a Duration Price

A duration price is added to a resource in the Schedule Settings . Once you have opened the schedule settings click on the Usage Type and Pricing section. You will set up the duration price per equipment, per availability, and  per price type. For each availability that should receive a Duration Price you will add the price in the Duration Price column next to the normal resource price. A value of 0 is valid and will mean the use is no cost once the duration threshold is met. The field can be left with N/A to indicate that the usage type is not eligible for duration discounting. This usage might be used to determine the time towards the threshold if the "Total Reservation Time" setting is used (see above), but it will not receive a discounted rate itself.


Apply a Duration Price

Once your Duration Prices have been set, users can now create reservations ‍  eligible to receive the Duration Price discount. When a reservation crosses the duration threshold, the system knows to split the reservation and discount the hours that are above the threshold, for either the entire reservation or for the discount eligible hours as explained above in the Duration Price Settings .

The first example below is based on a single usage type, with a duration threshold of two hours. Therefore, the base rate of $20/hour is applied to the initial two hours and the discounted rate of $10/hour is applied to the additional hours:

The next example is based on two usage types: the first is ineligible for duration pricing (i.e. Duration Price set to N/A) and the second is eligible for duration pricing after two hours. Furthermore, the duration eligibility setting is set to "Total reservation time", which means that all hours of the reservation will count towards the threshold (even for usage types that are not eligible themselves for discounted rates). As a result, the first three hours have the base rate of $20/hour applied (since the usage type is not eligible), but the hours are counted towards the eligibility threshold. In fact, the threshold is met during this usage type, and therefore next four hours under the second (eligible) usage type are all discounted at a rate of $10/hour.

In the final example, the only change is that the duration eligibility setting is set to "Discount eligible hours only". As a result, the hours under the first (ineligible) usage type are no longer counting towards the threshold. This means that the count towards the threshold starts with the second usage type, which is split into two hours of undiscounted time at $20/hour, and two remaining hours at the discounted rate of $10/hour.

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iLab — Volume Discounts

Volume Discounts

Role: Core Administrator

Volume Discounts allows the option to set up multiple discount groups at the core with various equipment, discount thresholds, and rates. As users schedule time on equipment calendars, they may reach a threshold when their new reservations are eligible for a volume discount. Volume discounts will be automatically applied to user reservations when conditions for application are met. Users and managers can view a summary of applied discounts on an event from the moment it is scheduled until the user is invoiced.

NOTE: Volume Discounts can only be turned on by an iLab associate. Contact Support ‍ for more information or to turn on this feature.


Access Volume Discounts

Once Volume Discounts has been turned on by iLab, you can access it through the Schedule Equipmen t tab by clicking on the "More" button in the top-right corner, then selecting "Manage Volume Discounts."

If this is your first time accessing Volume Discounts, you will not see any current discounts.


Volume Discount Settings

Settings related to Volume Discounts are configured at the core level. To access these settings, click on the Settings tab in the top-right corner of the Volume Discount interface:

A new window will open. Select the following core-wide discount parameters:

  • Calculate usage per user or per lab for volume discount pricing :  Indicate if discount applies per user or per lab (research group)
    • Discount per user - Each user is individually eligible to receive the volume discount if they have accumulated enough hours against their name to reach the threshold on that resource.
    • Discount per Lab – The volume discount will apply if the threshold is reached collectively by all lab members.
  • Calculate usage based on money spent or hours used : This allows the core to determine if they would like to calculate thresholds based on hours used on the equipment or dollar amount of money spent.
    • Discount per hours used – threshold is determined by number of hours
    • Discount by money spent – threshold is determined by amount of money spent
  • Period of time over which usage discounts accrue : Indicate if discount resets on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis
    • If quarterly or annual are chosen the next setting Time based on will become available
  • Time based on: Indicate if time is based on a calendar year or the institution’s fiscal year
    • Calendar year - time will be based on the calendar year (January-December)
    • Fiscal year - time will be based on the institution's fiscal year which can be set in the Institution Settings

Add a Discount

After the above settings have been determined, click on Create New Discount Group to add a discount to your resources.

Edit Discount Group allows you to provide a name (mandatory) and description (optional) of the discount.

Click on Continue to go to the next screen.

From the Add Equipment to Discount Group , select the equipment you would like to include in this discount group; one instrument can belong to only one discount group. You can choose to allow different discounts on different instruments or groups of instruments in your facility. Reservations made on instruments in the same discount group count towards reaching a threshold, and reservations exceeding the threshold qualify for the discount.

To add a piece of equipment to this discount group, check the box beside the equipment in the "Unassigned Equipment" box on the left. Then, click the right blue arrow. The piece of equipment will now display in the "Current Discount Grouping" box.

To remove a piece of equipment from this discount group, select the piece of equipment by checking the box beside the equipment in the "Current Discount Group" box on the right. Then, click the left blue arrow. The piece of equipment will now display in the "Unassigned Equipment" box.

Click Continue to go to the next screen.

In the Applicable Users and Times section, you can select what price classes to receive certain discounts and exclude others. You can also select the usages that qualify for the discount. Only reservations meeting the selected criteria will count towards reaching the discount threshold.

Click Continue to go to the next screen.

In the Edit Discount Thresholds and Rates section, you can set up multiple thresholds, and the percentage discount rate within a threshold.

The discount with the determined rate is applied only to reservations that exceed the threshold. Multiple thresholds can be applied. For example (as illustrated above):

  • 0 – 10 hours:10% discount for the first 10 hours, regardless of the total amount of hours reached by the end of the discount period.
  • 10 – 20 hours: 20% discount on any reservation after 10 hours and before 20 hours
  • 20 > hours: 30% discount on any reservation after 20 hours until the end of the discount period

Click Continue to go to the next screen.

In the Advanced Discount Thresholds and Rates section, you can adjust the percentage discount rate by Usage Type and Price Type. This will allow you to give specific users more or less of a discount.

In the example above the Internal price type is receiving more of a discount for the Assisted and Unassisted usage types for hours above 10 hours. Once you have completed the set up click Finish and Return to be directed back to the Discount Groups page where you can make your newly created discount active.

Once you create your new discount group, make sure you define it as "Active" by clicking the toggle under "Active?" so that it displays blue. A warning icon (red triangle) will indicate any issues, as displayed below. You will not be allowed to activate the discount group until you fix the issues.


Edit a Discount

To edit an existing discount, click on the "Edit" button. Then, follow the instructions above .


Apply Discounts

Once your discount group is activated, users can schedule equipment and receive discounts on usage after reaching the threshold. The discount is always a percent off the original price.

Once a user reaches the threshold, their reservations show the new rate and indicate that they received a discount.

When a reservation crosses a discount threshold, the system knows to split the reservation and discount the hours that are above the threshold. In the example below, the first five hours are within the threshold, but discounts are applied to the final two hours, which are above the defined threshold.

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iLab — Unavailable Time Block

Unavailable Time Block

Role: Core Administrator

For a period when a resource will not be available, you can create time blocks to prevent users from booking new reservations during that time.


Create an Unavailable Event

To create a time block, open the calendar page of the resource and click to drag the time period on the day of the intended unavailability. You can then adjust the exact date and time when choosing the event settings:

From the event type drop-down list, select ‘Unavailable (maintenance, holiday, etc.)’, and press 'Next':


Unavailable Event Settings

  1. Event Details: Add ‘Event Notes’ to be displayed on the calendar view (e.g., reasons for the unavailability, inquiries or other relevant information) and choose if any specific group can have access to the equipment during the unavailability. You can also cancel any pre-existing, overlapping reservations and notify users about the cancelation.
  2. Times: Confirm the date and time. To modify, click on the ‘edit pencil’ icon, update the information, and then click on the 'green checkmark' icon.
  3. Repeating Event: Check the 'Enabled' box, if applicable, and adjust the various recurrence settings as you need (such as every other day, a specific date every month or yearly).
  4. Confirmation: Press 'Save' to confirm (If you are creating a recurrent time block, you will see 'Check Availability and Save'), 'Cancel' or 'Delete Availability' if the event is no longer relevant.

This is how the calendar displays an unavailable time block:




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iLab — Confirm Usage

Confirm Usage

Role: Core Administrator

Confirming usage on calendars provides core administrators the opportunity to review and prepare each reservation for billing by confirming the charges associated with the reservation.  Confirming usage on resources is the responsibility of core administrators and can be found on the Schedule Equipment tab.


Access Confirm Usage Manager

To confirm usage across multiple calendars and users from one interface, click on the "Confirm Usage" button on the core’s Schedule Equipment tab.

Within the confirm usage interface, you can view, filter, search, edit and confirm all unconfirmed reservations.


Layout of Confirm Usage

The confirm usage manager has three primary sections (as shown below).

  1. Table filters and sort: The filter and sort options across the top of the page allow you to filter reservations by date, issues, warnings, reservation owner, and source. Select a filter and click apply to see an updated reservation list. To clear the filter, click the 'clear filter' button.
  2. Usage records and confirmation tool : The usage records and confirmation tool section displays the list of reservation records resulting from the filters applied.  In this section you can update the details of the reservation and confirm the usage, as discussed below.
  3. Resources (equipment) list panel: The 'Select resources' panel to the right of the page will display all calendars available at the core. Use the select resources panel to filter for specific resource reservations. Select a resource and click 'Apply'. Your filtered list will display.

Confirm Events

To confirm an individual reservation, click on the green "Confirm" button.

To confirm multiple reservations, check the box to the right of the events you would like to confirm. Next, click the blue bulk Confirm button.


Adjust an Event

If edits need to be made to a reservation, click on the menu icon (three bars) on the right hand side of the "Confirm" button. Select the reservation details category you would like to edit.

The details window will display your selection and you can begin making edits.

From this window, you can navigate to other detail sections that need updating. When you have finished your changes, click "Save".


Match Actual Usage

If you have actual usage entered into iLab through a Upload Usage ‍  (or the legacy Usage Tracker), you are able to manually match this actual usage with scheduled usage and merge the data.

Records that can be merged will display a “handle” (i.e., three vertically aligned dots) on the very left of the row on hover.  Click the row and hold down the cursor. Then drag the record up or down to match the usage records.

The outlines will indicate which rows are possible to merge. A green outline indicates a possible matching action. A red outline indicates an impossible match.

The requirements for being able to match are as follows:

  • The usage record and the reservation must be on the same equipment.
  • The records must be within one week of each other, start or end-time.
  • If the user is not recognized in the upload, you may identify them normally through the confirm usage interface.

Fix an Invalid Event

Invalid records will display in yellow. When an invalid record is identified, hover over the "Invalid" button to display suggestions on how to edit the reservation so it can be confirmed.

Filters can be applied to display events with specific errors.

Click on the menu icon (three bars).  The red lady bug indicates the area that needs to be updated. In the case above, the user needs to correct the usage type for the customer. When we click on the three bars, we are automatically taken to the Use and Cost section, where the error is highlighted in red and explained in more detail.

You can edit additional areas of the reservation by selecting a category from the top panel.

  1. Adjust Owner/Group/Project allows you to view the reservation owner, their lab, lab contacts or assign this reservation to a processing service request.

  1. Adjust Times allows for you to adjust the scheduled, logged, or billable time of the reservation.

  1. Use and Cost allows you to view the usage type and price associated with that usage.  If the usage type is incorrect, you can override the usage type and pick the correct availability for the reservation by toggling the blue Override Usage Type Access Rules button and selecting the new usage type.

  1. Add-on Charges are available if your facility allows for additional charges to be added to reservations.  From this tab you can view, update and add charges to a reservation.

To add a charge, click the "Add charge" button. Select the charge you would like to add from the Select service drop down on the left hand side. Update the quantity and click save.

The new charge displayed will be added to the total charge of the reservation.

5. Use the Total Cost tab to view all of the details about the reservation that leads to the total amount charged.  This includes add on charges, scans and no charge options.

  1. Hover over the red icon to view charging rules
  2. Selecting the No Charge option will generate a 'non billable' charge for this reservation, but still allow you to report on the usage type.

6. Payment Info can be viewed and edited.

  1. Charge Name will display the name for the charge also displayed on invoices and billing files.  The charge name is set at the core level and can be edited by core staff or the iLab support team.



iLab — Review Usage

Review Usage

Role: Core Administrator

The Review Usage button on the Schedule Equipment tab allows core administrators to view all usage - confirmed and unconfirmed - for a specific resource. You may also choose to confirm the usage from this interface.

NOTE: The Review Usage button allows for confirming usage for a single piece of equipment ONLY. For details on how to confirm usage across a core for ALL core resources, please see Confirm Usage .‍


Review Usage Overview

To review usage, click on the "Review Usage" button beside the resource you would like to view.

A screen will open displaying all usage for that resource. Notice the date range on the top. You may change the dates to broaden or narrow your search results. This filter will apply to each tab.

You may switch views by clicking on an alternate tab.

A detailed description of each tab follows.


Upload Usage

The Upload Usage tab allows you to confirm usage gathered in another medium; for instance, a manual log file. It will display any usage files that have already been uploaded but are not yet confirmed.

The first button you will see is the "refresh list" button. Clicking this will refresh the list of uploaded usage files to include any that  have uploaded since you logged on.

The "View archived uploads" button allows you to view all usage files that have been archived. Archived files have been processed and will no longer display in the standard Unconfirmed Usage or Confirmed Usage searches. It will be searchable ONLY through the "View archived uploads" on the Upload Usage tab.

Last, you may upload additional usage files by clicking the "Upload File" button.

There are several options when uploading user files:

  1. If you would like the system to match the reservations in your file with reservations in the system, click "Match times in the file against schedule". This could eliminate possible duplicate charges.  If you would not like to match schedules but create new reservations for every entry in the file, check the option, "Create new reservations and charges, regardless of schedule".
  2. Select your file format. The "Schedule" option is reserved for users of iLab's usage tracker. "iLab format" is an excel spreadsheet with headers. You may download a template by clicking in the link. "BD format" is iLab format without the header rows. Below is an example of what a usage file might looks like.
  3. Once you have selected fields one and two above, the "Choose File" button will become active. Browse your system to upload your file.
  4. You may add a note if necessary. The note will display in the summary of the upload as shown below.

When you have completed all the entries, click "Upload and process entries".

Your new new uploads will now display on the Upload Usage tab.

Note that you may use the action icons to take several actions on your downloads.

  1. Remove all reservations created by this upload
  2. Archive this upload
  3. Download the original file
  4. Download the original file with error indicators

Manage Unconfirmed Usage

When you first click on the Unconfirmed Usage tab, a list of all unconfirmed usage within the dates specified in the date filter will display. There are several actions you may take on a usage entry before confirming them, detailed in the numbered image below.

  1. Click on "Show all unconfirmed usage" button to override the date filter and display ALL unconfirmed usage for the resource.
  2. Check this box to mark as a "no charge" entry.
  3. Click on "adjust" if you would like to adjust the time on the entry. The window below opens. Click on the pencil icon to edit the time and dates. You may choose to reset the changes or save them by clicking the green check icon. When you have completed you updates, click on apply.
  4. Click on the "confirm" link to confirm this usage entry. The entry will be removed from the unconfirmed list and moved to the confirmed list.
  5. Check the "all" checkbox selects ALL the usage entries in this view. Then you may confirm them all or delete them all by scrolling to the bottom and clicking the "Confirm all checked" box or the "Delete all checked" box.
  6. Click on the dollar icon to view and update payment information. This allows you to update payment information or split payment between multiple funds if needed.
  7. When you click on the lab link, a window displaying lab information displays.
  8. Click on the pencil icon to view and/or select a different usage type.
  9. Click on the plus icon to add services to this usage entry. The services window will display.
  10. You may click on the red X icon to delete the selected usage entry.

You may use the check boxes on each entry to carry out additional actions located at the bottom of the screen.

Select specific entries to which you would like to apply the specific action, then click on the action.


Manage Confirmed Usage

Once usage has been confirmed, the entry will be moved to the Confirmed Usage tab. From here, there are still a few more actions you may take.

  1. When you click on the lab link, a window displaying lab information displays.
  2. You may choose to attach this usage to an existing project in the processing status. To do so, click on the down arrow to select an available project, then click on the disc icon to save.
  3. Click on the plus icon to add services to this usage entry. The services window will display.
  4. Check the "all" checkbox selects ALL the usage entries in this view. Then you may un-confirm them all by clicking the "unconfirm all checked" box. These entries will now be moved back to the Unconfirmed Usage tab.
  5. Click on the dollar icon to view and update payment information.


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iLab — Upload Usage

Upload Usage

Role: Core Administrator

The Upload Usage tool allows cores to upload their reservations in bulk. The Upload Usage tool is found under the Schedule Equipment tab. This can be helpful for cores that are preparing to go-live with iLab and need to input future reservations or for cores that use another usage tracking system on the instrument and need to match usage to existing reservations. Usage Uploads take place for only one piece of equipment at a time, and must be in a specific file format.


Prepare a File for Upload

When uploading a usage log file,  you may choose between 4 options. Each option provides information on the format the file is required to be in for successful upload. When uploading usage using the iLab format, a template file can be downloaded from the Upload Usage interface (see Upload a Usage File ). All other formats have help text explaining how to format the file.


When using the iLab format, the required fields are the researcher's full name (must match the account name in iLab), Equipment name (as found in the Instance Name), Start Date and Time (mm/dd/yyyy h:mm), End Date and Time (mm/dd/yyyy h:mm). PI Last Name and Payment Number are optional fields.

An example of the iLab format is below. All other file types must be in the format specified in the help text to the right of the selection in iLab.

Once the template is ready, you may upload it to iLab.


Upload a Usage File

To begin the upload process, first click "Upload Usage" button beside the appropriate equipment.

A window will open and you will choose your options.

I would like to…

  • Match times in file against schedule (Use this when you want the uploaded files to merge with existing reservations.)
  • Create new reservations and charges, regardless of schedule (Use this when you want new entries to be created, regardless of existing reservations. Will have to manually link, when necessary.)

File format :

  • Schedule log: Used with iLab’s offline usage tracker software.  Take the .log usage file from the equipment HD and upload it using the Schedule log options.  Keep the file format as .log. NOTE: This functionality is legacy and is no longer supported by iLab.
  • iLab Format: Used for any type of upload.  The file type must be .csv. A template file can be downloaded from the "download template" link.
  • BD Format: Used for BD instruments; however, original log file still has to be altered to match our template fields.  File format must be .csv.
  • Bruker NMR AutoSampler format: Used for Bruker NMR instruments. No adjusting of the file is needed.

CSV File :

All files except the usage tracker software must be saved as a .csv to be valid for upload.

  • Browse (Should have template saved on HD to choose for upload.)
  • Click "Upload and process entries".

Notes :

  • You may add a note to show on the event notes field when you upload.


Click the "Upload and process entries" button. Once you have uploaded and processed the file, you can check the status of the file.

  1. Status: Status will start at "New", then it will change to "Processing", and then "Completed". It refreshes every few seconds automatically or you can manually refresh by clicking the refresh list button.
  2. File Name: This is the name of the file you chose to upload.
  3. Summary: The first number in blue is the total lines in the document. The second number is the number of reservations that were valid and created/matched. The third number is the number of error rows that did not process correctly. If errors are found an email will be sent to institution admins but can be adjusted to send
  4. Notes Field: Enter a note that relates to the overall upload.
  5. Created By: This is the person that created the upload.
  6. Upload Date: Date and time stamp of the upload.
  7. Charge Creation Method: This pulls from the selection made above and will say 'Match times' or 'Create New'.
  8. Green Arrow: Remove all reservation created by this upload (NOTE: This does not work for reservations that have been merged, meaning if you choose the first option to match reservations and you find a problem, all reservations will have to be manually adjust).
  9. Brown Folder: Archive this upload
  10. Template Image: Download the original file that was uploaded.
  11. Template Image with caution triangle: This is the error file if errors were found during the upload. Errors should be fixed and all successfully uploaded lines should be removed. Error lines should then be uploaded in a new upload.

Once usage is uploaded, it can be found in the Confirm Usage interface and can be edited and matched as needed.






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iLab — Usage Capping

Usage Capping

Role: Core Administrator

Usage Capping allows core facilities to define how many hours a user may schedule on a particular piece of equipment or at a service center at any given time, and to place restrictions on reservations that exceed this defined amount of time. If a user makes a reservation that exceeds their allotted amount of time, the service center administrator will need to approve that reservation. Alternatively, the service center administrator can deny any reservations that exceed this usage allowance.

Note

Usage Capping can only be turned on by iLab associates. If you would like to turn on usage capping at your core, please contact iLab Support .


Calculating Usage

Usage is calculated with the following parameters:

  • Once a reservation has been scheduled, the amount of time that has been booked for that event is deducted from the user’s allotted usage.
  • Reservations that are marked as Pending Approval are also deducted from the user’s time allotment.
  • Once a reservation has begun, the total amount of time reserved for that event goes back into the user’s time allowance for further scheduling.

Define a New Usage Capping Rule

Usage capping can be defined at either the Service Center level (where usage of all the service center’s equipment contributes to a service center-level total) , or at an individual Resource/Equipment level.

To configure usage capping rules, navigate to the Schedule Equipment tab of the equipment core. Select the More button to open the drop-down menu and choose Manage Usage Capping ( as shown below ) .

Select Add capping to add a new capping rule.

The Usage Capping interface allows you to configure a new rule:

  • Select Capping Scope : Choose whether the usage cap will be applied towards usage at the Service Center level or at the Resource (i.e. equipment) level.
  • Limit Usage to: The number of hours of usage that are allowed for reservations before the cap is applied.
  • Limit Usage of events that start :
    • The hours in advance indicates that after a certain time in the future, reservations will be subject to the capping rules. Example: If the current time is 1:00 pm and the hours in advance is set to 2 hours, any reservation made for 3:00 pm or later WILL be subject to the capping rules. If a reservation is made between the times of 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm it WILL NOT be subject to capping rules.
  • Require approval instead of forbidding reservations after capping amount is exceeded:

A core may choose to allow customers to submit preliminary reservation requests that exceed their hourly usage cap but require formal core approval. Turn this setting ON if the core would like to allow exceeding the usage cap with explicit core approval. The customer will see a Pending approval because of capping rules notation on their calendar event:

If the core prefers to forbid all reservations that exceed defined usage caps, leave this setting OFF. The customer will see a prompt when they attempt to schedule time that exceeds their allotted usage:

Core administrators will still have the ability to override reservations that exceed the allotted time if they are placing reservations on behalf of a customer or if they need to reserve time on an instrument for internal reasons. Core maintenance events are not subject to usage capping rules.


Edit an Existing Usage Capping Rule

To edit existing usage capping rules, click on the Edit button beside the scope you would like to edit.

The Edit Usage Capping screen will display. From here, follow the instructions outlined above to update your rule.

Note that you may also remove a rule by clicking on the red Remove button.


View Usage Capping Statistics

Usage capping statistics cover two values: how many hours of usage are allowed per service center and/or resource, and how much time is currently booked by the user. A core customer may view their current usage statistics in three places:

At the service center level

When you are on your core's Schedule Equipment page, the View my usage statistics button will display for your customers if you have usage capping defined at the service center level.

Click the View my usage statistics button. Usage numbers for your core will display.

On the reservation details page

When a customer makes a reservation on a resource that has usage capping rules defined, they may view capping details on the reservation details page when they make or view a reservation.

If a core administrator is making a reservation on behalf of a customer, they will see their customer’s usage statistics when first initiating the reservation:




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iLab — Message Customers (Reservations)

Message Customers (Reservations)

Role: Core Administrator

Message Customers gives core managers the option to filter for specific calendar reservations within a certain time frame and send emails to those reservation owners. The Message Customer feature is found within the Schedule Equipment tool.

From the Schedule Equipment tab, c lick on the "Message Customers" button.

A new window will display:

  1. Define a date range and the calendar(s) on which you would like to locate reservation owner(s). By default, all resources are checked under the 'Select resource(s)' section.
  2. A list of reservation owners within the selected search parameters will display. Select the reservation owner(s) you would like to email.
  3. Use the rich text editor to compose and send your email.
  4. Click 'Return to Scheduling' to take you back to the Schedule Equipment tab.




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iLab Support

Kiosk and Interlock

iLab — Overview of Kiosk and Interlock

Overview of Kiosk and Interlock

Role: Core Administrator

Kiosk and Interlock are iLab modules used to track real time usage on instruments for more accurate billing and reporting purposes. Kiosk is a stand alone tracking station used to capture logged time. Interlock is a device utilizing hardware or software to control power to equipment through a secure iLab Bridge.


Kiosk

Kiosk can be used without Interlock to simply track the usage on equipment within the core. The Kiosk is a stand alone station providing users a login interface to begin and end their reservation. Please refer to the Managing Kiosk ‍ article for more information.


iLab Bridge

Once an agreement is in place, the iLab engineering team will configure and send you an iLab bridge. The bridge initiates a secure connection to our iLab servers from within your organization. The bridge does not need to be visible to the outside - it only needs to be connected to the subnet and able to SSH out to the iLab server. You will work with your iLab implementation team to determine timing and availability of the iLab Bridge.


Software Interlock

Software Interlock controls user access to an instrument's specific software programs, governed by a combination of iLab’s Scheduling and Calendar functionality, the iLab Equipment Kiosk interface, and a third-party software access solution.

The iLab Software Interlock requires that the customer purchase from Sassafras a K2-KeyServer server license as well as individual seats for each piece of equipment. Refer to the Preparing for Software Interlock article for more information.


Hardware Interlock

The Hardware Interlock approach relies on controlling the power to key components, typically the monitor used by a piece of equipment. iLab Solutions provides a way to manage equipment remotely, via a kiosk interface. This is done using network enabled devices that can control either a set of standard 110V outlets or a set of dry electric switches. The ability for users to log into the kiosk interface to use equipment is governed by rules and policies that you configure in iLab for resources you wish to control via an interlock device. Some examples of configuration are whether or not a user is trained on the resource, has scheduled time or somebody else is already using the resource.  To control access to the resource the iLab software communicates with these devices in three ways: turning a channel on, turning a channel off, or checking the status of a particular channel. Refer to the Preparing for Hardware Interlock article for more information.


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iLab — Managing Kiosk

Managing Kiosk

Role: Core Administration

The kiosk interface is an easy-to-use tool to help cores monitor real-time usage and compare against scheduled time through a kiosk-style computer interface. Reservations will automatically reflect both the scheduled and logged time allowing for a more efficient confirmation and billing process. You can think of Kiosk without Interlock as an “honor system” tracker, as there is nothing requiring users to login to the Kiosk to use the equipment. The advantages of using kiosk is to allow users to start an existing reservation or begin a walk-up reservation, and log real-time usage. Kiosk is free of charge and can be used on a core by core basis within an institution. Contact your IA or PM to enable kiosk for your core.


Access the Kiosk

You can access the kiosk dashboard from the "Go to Kiosk" button on your Schedule Equipment tab


Set Up the Kiosk

As an administrator, you can determine individual settings per instrument, or use the core calendar default settings. To access kiosk settings, navigate to your name in the upper right corner. From the drop down, select "Settings".

The screen will display your service center settings, which are the default settings for each piece of equipment.

  1. Equipment by Category: The default display is the general service center settings page. From here, you can define default settings for each resource within your core. To manage kiosk settings individually for resources, click on the equipment category and select an individual resource from the drop-down menu.
  2. Minimum reservation time: Enter the minimum amount of time (in minutes) required for a reservation.
  3. Maximum reservation time: Enter the maximum amount of time (in minutes) that can be scheduled for a reservation.
  4. Time step: The amount of time the reservation can be increased or decreased.
  5. Time when reservation is considered a no-show: How long after the start of the reservation and the original user not showing up should a reservation be considered a no-show? After this time, the next person is allowed to use the equipment or create a walk up reservation.
  6. How far in advance can a reservation be started : How soon in advance can a user start their reservation?
  7. Time when reservation is considered a walk-out: How long after the end of the reservation is a user considered to have walked away even if their session is still running and the next person is allowed to start a session. This addresses the issue of people forgetting to end their session on the kiosk after their work is done.
  8. Time to notify user about a walkout : Enter the amount of time before a user is notified of their walk-out via email.
  9. Allow walk-ups: You can allow users to start a session even if they did not make a reservation in advance on the calendar.
  10. Strict payment information : Whether a payment number or fund code is required before a session can begin.
  11. Allow multiple logins per reservation : Whether a user can have multiple sessions within one reservation. If this is turned off the user will not be allowed to restart a reservation after ending it.
  12. Shut off equipment when terminating walk-out : The amount of time after the reservation has ended that the resource will be automatically turned off. This setting is helpful when a user forgets to log back into the kiosk to end their session.

To determine individual settings on resources, click on the resource from the equipment menu. Select the 'Use core default' option or define individual settings per instrument.


Manage the Kiosk

Upon login, the left hand menu will display a button that says 'Start Walkup Session'. Clicking on this button gives a list of core equipment and the current reservation status of the equipment. If resources are separated into categories, click on the arrow to expand the included resources.

The middle panel displays all reservations from all of your users. Reservations within a 6 hour period will display.

  1. Refresh Sessions: Allows you to refresh the session and displays any new reservations.
  2. Include completed sessions: The default view displays future sessions. Click this button if you would like to view completed sessions as well.
  3. Filter: The filter option allows you to search on any data point of a reservation.
  4. Start: The Start button allows you to begin a session. This option will only display if a session is within the acceptable time frame to start a reservation early based on kiosk settings.
  5. Details : Details can be seen by clicking on the details button to view the details of a reservation without starting it.  You can also click on the arrow on the right side of the Start Button to bring up the "details" option.

The top right corner will display the name of the user logged in. Click on the name to expand the menu options:

  1. All Reservations : Allows you to navigate back to the reservations page.
  2. Manage Interlocks : Allows you to Manage your interlock settings for each piece of equipment, as discussed in Managing Interlock ‍.
  3. Settings : Allows you to edit kiosk settings, described above .
  4. Back to Core : Click here if you would like to go back to your main iLab site.
  5. Sign out : Choosing logout will log you out of the kiosk so a new user can log in via the kiosk dashboard.

Allowing Add-on Charges in the Kiosk

Add-on charges allow for a facility to add in a fee in addition to the equipment charge. The most common use for these add-on charges are consumable services or equipment that is charged per sample.

Add-on charges can be default added by the core, or the core may allow users to add in additional charges when they make a reservation. To activate this feature, you must turn on the setting 'Allow add on charges for reservations' from the administrative tab in the core ( Scheduling Settings ‍). The remaining settings below can be found on the individual calendar interface ( Schedule Settings ‍). Once activated, the Add-on charges will now show in the kiosk interface.

There are 3 additional settings related to this feature.

  1. Let users add charges to reservation: This allows users to be able to update quantities, delete charges, and add any additional available services to the reservation from the kiosk interface.
  2. Default add on charges: This allows the core to add charges by default that will always show up. If the above setting is set to on, then users will be to adjust and delete charges.
  3. The last setting is to 'require at least on add on charge for the event to be valid': This setting is mainly for the core and the core will not be able to confirm usage until and add-on charge is applied. An error will show on the reservation if no add-on charge is present but this will not prevent the reservation from being started.


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iLab — Preparing for Hardware Interlock

Preparing for Hardware Interlock

Role: Core Adminstrator

iLab Solutions provides a way to manage equipment remotely, via a kiosk interface. This is done using network enabled devices that can control either a set of standard 110V outlets or a set of dry electric switches. The ability for users to log into the kiosk interface to use equipment is governed by rules and policies that you configure in iLab for resources you wish to control via an interlock device. Some examples of configuration are whether or not a user is trained on the resource, has scheduled time or somebody else is already using the resource.  To control access to the resource the iLab software communicates with these devices in three ways: turning a channel on, turning a channel off, or checking the status of a particular channel.

Once you have received and installed the required devices refer to Setting Up Hardware Interlock .


Supported Interlock Devices

iLab supports network-enabled interlock device: ControlByWeb.  The iLab software interface communicates with these devices in three ways: turning a channel on, turning a channel off, or checking the status of a particular channel.

ControlByWeb : ControlByWeb is a versatile device that offers both dry contact and standard AC power supply outputs. iLab supports the following ControlByWeb devices:


For ControlByWeb devices, have a feature where they can automatically turn on in the event of a Bridge or network failure. This default to on feature loses the tracking capability during an outage but at least researchers can continue to work and to track usage manually.


On-Site Requirements

Personnel Requirements

An IT team on-site will need to create a secure local network to which the iLab bridge and any of the interlock devices will be connected. Each device on the network will require a static IP. The subnet does not need to be visible from the outside - the iLab bridge needs only to be able to connect to the iLab server via an SSH connection.

A lab technician on-site will need to determine from the lab setup how many devices are needed and their placement. It is key that the lab technician knows the lab very well to ensure the correct devices are purchased and placed correctly in the lab.

Network Requirements

Interlock is designed for minimum impact on your campus network infrastructure at the institution that is using interlock devices.


iLab Bridge

Once an agreement is in place, the iLab engineering team will configure and send you an iLab bridge. Your interlock devices will be connected to this bridge, and will require a static IP. The bridge will then initiate a secure local connection to our iLab servers from within your organization. The bridge and the subnet do not need to be visible to the outside - they only need to be able to SSH out to the iLab server.

There are two possible scenarios for how your devices will connect to the VLAN/subnet:

  1. Multiple devices on subnet
  2. Multiple devices on multiple subnets

Diagram 1: A ll devices on one subnet/VLAN

Diagram 2: Multiple devices on multiple subnets


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iLab — Preparing for Software Interlock

Preparing for Software Interlock

Roles: Core Administrator

This functionality controls user access to specific software programs, governed using a combination of iLab’s Scheduling and Calendars functionality, Equipment Kiosk interface, and Sassafras K2-KeyServer.

Once you have received the required devices, software and completed set up and implementation, refer to Setting Up Software Interlock .


Sassafras K2-KeyServer

K2-KeyServer is an IT software asset management product from Sassafras Software. Generally, Sassafras KeyServer can keep track of both hardware and software, discover what software you have, track who is using it and how often, and report on usage. Specifically, when used with iLab, K2 is able to enforce policies, which will either allow or disallow the use of software, after consulting with the iLab database. Therefore, software usage can be tied to trained usage or usage based on scheduling.

  1. A unique Sassafra K2-KeyServer needs to be installed within the Institution's network. This KeyServer's responsibility will be to govern any computers that will need to use the Software Interlock functionality.
    • If an institution already has an installation of Sassafras, we recommend configuring a separate, unique instance of KeyServer to avoid any potential software Deny/Control policy and/or version upgrades conflicts.
    • iLab recommends there be a central point of contact(s) at the institution to work with both iLab and Sassafras to configure and manage the Software Interlock KeyServer installation and configuration. It is recommended that this POC(s) be from the Institution's IT Department.
  2. Install the Sassafras driver that supports Client Authentication via the iLab method. Agilent will provide you the appropriate binaries and instructions on where to place them. This is ideally done by the administrator of the Sassafras server.
  3. Each computer that hosts controlled software will need to have a Sassafras Client (KeyAccess) installed on it. The KeyAccess client allows Sassafras's KeyServer to recognize the computer and identify all software programs installed on it.
    • Institutions and/or cores will need to purchase enough client licenses to accommodate the total number of computers that will host controlled software programs (not the total number of software programs).
  4. Provide local administrative access to the Sassafras KeyConfigure interface.
    • KeyConfigure is the interface that allows a local administrator to view computers and installed software, and will be the access point for configuring software Control and Deny Policies[R(1]
  5. Any computer on the Institution network that wants to use the Software Interlock solution will need to have network connectivity to this KetServer (but not necessarily internet access) and controlled applications will be governed by this new Sassafras server.

Additional information on how to set up Sassafras for use with iLab can be found in iLab/Sassafras set-up documentation


On-site Requirements

Personnel Requirements

Coordination will be required with the institution’s IT and networking teams. The IT professionals should be able to follow the instructions below and utilize the linked resources in this document to set up the bridge.

Network Requirements

An onsite IT team will need to create a secure local network in which the iLab Bridge will reside. The Bridge and Sassafras server do not have to be on the same subnet:

  • The Bridge needs only to be able to initiate an outgoing SSH connection to the iLab server.
  • When the Bridge is installed, the Sassafras server should be able to connect to the Bridge on port 3306 to send MySQL requests.

iLab Bridge

Once an agreement is in place, the iLab engineering team will configure and send you an iLab bridge. Your interlock devices will be connected to this bridge, and will require a static IP. The bridge will then initiate a secure local connection to our iLab servers from within your organization. The bridge and the subnet do not need to be visible to the outside - they only need to be able to SSH out to the iLab server.

There are two possible scenarios for how your devices will connect to the VLAN/subnet:

  1. Multiple devices on subnet
  2. Multiple devices on multiple subnets

Diagram 1: A ll devices on one subnet/VLAN

Diagram 2: Multiple devices on multiple subnets


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iLab — Setting Up Hardware Interlock

Setting Up Hardware Interlock

Roles: Core Administrator

The initial interlock set up will require close collaboration between the core, the iLab team, and the institution IT members. After the initial set up process, interlock is managed by core administrators.


Accessing Interlocks

To set up and manage your interlock, click on the "More" button on the Schedule Equipment tab.









The interlock tool displays. From here, you can add new interlock devices and/or edit existing devices.







  1. Default to On : To be turned on in the event of a network outage.
  2. Add New Interlock: To add a new interlock, click on the "Add New Interlock" button and follow the directions below for adding a hardware interlock.

Adding a New Hardware Interlock

To add a hardware interlock, click on the "Add New Interlock" button as described above. Then, select the type of interlock box you have purchased from the pull down menu.










Additional fields will display depending on the hardware selected. You will be asked to enter a nickname (a way to quickly identify this interlock), the interlock IP address, the iLab bridge, a username and a password.













After the new interlock is added, use the blue plus icon and select from the drop down menu to assign a resource to the device. When your instrument it selected, click on the blue arrow to save.








Interlock connection can be turned on or off per instrument by sliding the blue toggle switch.


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iLab — Setting Up Software Interlock

Setting Up Software Interlock

Roles: Core Administrator

The initial interlock set up will require close collaboration between the core, the iLab team, and the institution IT members. After the initial set up process, interlock is managed by core administrators.


Accessing Interlock

To set up and manage your interlock, click on the More button on the Schedule Equipment tab.







The interlock tool displays. From here, you can add new interlock devices and/or edit existing devices.







  1. Search : Allows you to search via the IP address or equipment name for a specific interlock device.
  2. Default to On : To be turned on in the event of a network outage.
  3. Add New Interlock : To add a new interlock, click on the Add New Interlock button.

Adding a New Software Interlock

Software interlock requires the use of Sassafras, third-party software that allows controlling application access. Documentation on how to set up Sassafras for use with iLab can be found in iLab/Sassafras set-up documentation

Once Sassafras is set up and configured, a new software interlock can be added by selecting "Software Interlock" from the pull down menu.











Enter a nickname for the device, the sassafras server IP address, and bridge.











Click "Save".

Sassafras software will be installed by the institution, which will generate an individual Computer ID per instrument. You will need to provide these Computer IDs to your IA to be entered on the iLab side. Entering the Computer IDs into iLab will generate a Scope ID (not displayed below). This scope ID will be given to the institution's IT Department who will complete the set-up.


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iLab Support

Request Services

iLab — Overview of Managing Request Services

Overview of Managing Request Services

Role: Core Administrator

The Request Services tab is used by core customers to initiate service project requests or individual services.  As a core administrator, you can manage your projects and services that you offer to your customers. Note that this tab can be renamed in the Service Requests Settings ‍, so it may not have the same name in your core.

This article describes the functionality used by core administrators. Core customers, refer to Request Services for information on how to place service requests.‍


Layout of Request Services

The Request Services tab is broken down into two panels:

  1. Service Requests panel ‍: this panel can contain a customized introductory text to the service requests and a list of the available service request projects the core offers.  This is also where the editing tools are located for the service projects.
  2. Services Panel ‍: this panel contains all the individual services a core offers, a search box to easily find services and editing tools to modify the panel.

Note that both the Service Requests panel and Services panels can be renamed in the Service Requests Settings ‍.


Overview of Service Requests

Service Requests allow a core to create an umbrella service offering to their customers. Cores can set up the project requests to collect all information needed to start the project. The core can set payment requirements, include forms that need to be completed, set milestones, define standard services that are part of the project, and determine estimated project costs.

From a financial perspective, Service Requests serve as containers for the underlying charges, which are driven by specific services (as discussed below) as well as custom charges (ad-hoc amounts not tied to specific services).

Core administrators and staff can initiate request on behalf of their customer, as discussed in Request Services ‍. Core administrators can also customize the Service Requests panel ‍ of their core.


Overview of Individual Services

Services are the individual offerings of a core. Services can encompass anything from specific activities performed, to supplies that are sold or used in conjunction with a request.

Services can be set up to require a form to be completed or to have a core staff automatically assigned to the service that will receive notifications.  A core can allow customers to directly request individual services, or to have the services as view only. Services can also be included with the above service project requests.

Each service can have a price tag associated with them, which can vary depending on the type of customer (e.g. internal to the institution, external academic, external corporate, etc.).

Core administrators can customize the Services panel.








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iLab — Editing Service Request Templates

Editing Service Request Templates

Role: Core Administrator

The Service Requests panel is located on the Request Services tab . As a core administrator, you can configure this panel to showcase the Service Request Projects you offer.


Edit General Project Instructions

The general project description section offers space for a brief description of your the service projects section and displays at the top of the Service Projects & Quote Requests page.

To edit, click on the pencil icon to the right to open the text editor and enter a new description. Click 'Save' to exit this screen and see the information you have entered.


Create a Project Template

To create a template, click on the 'Add a Service Project Template' button.

This will open a new Project Template:

  • Name : Enter a name for your template. It should be something easily recognizable.
  • Description: The Description should contain a high level overview of the project as a whole.
  • Summary Field Name: If you would like to change the name of the description field to something else, such as project goals, enter the preferred name here. Note: This field is often used when time entry is enabled.
  • Category: Service projects can be grouped into categories. To create a new category click in the Category drop down and select Add new category, at the bottom of the list. Once selected a text field will appear to the right where you can type in the name of the new category you need to create.
  • Classifications : Available classification terms are derived in part from the eagle-i resource ontology set. If you have a new classification term you’d like us to consider adding to our ontology database, please submit your request here .
  • Visibility for core customers : Indicate whether customers should be able to initiate requests (Do or Do Not Allow).
  • Publicly visible on this core's landing page? : Indicate whether this project should be visible to customers on the external landing page when not logged into iLab.

  • Do not show customer estimated cost upon initial request, core will provide a custom quote : When a customer submits a request, you may choose to display an estimated cost (by adding default services to the template), or you may choose to provide a custom quote after the request is submitted.
  • Require payment information to initiate request? : Indicate whether you will require payment information when the request is submitted.  This will override the core settings on the administration tab.
  • Accessible only through the studies interface : For cores using the studies module, indicate if this project should be accessed within the study only or may be requested separately.
  • Assign work to staff : Within each request, core staff can determine what project management tools they want available. Check this box if you would like to enable the ability to assign this request to a certain core staff member.
  • Assign a start date : Within each request, core staff can determine what project management tools they want available. Check this box if you would like to be able to assign a start date to this request.
  • Assign a target end date : Within each request, core staff can determine what project management tools they want available. Check this box if you would like to be able to assign an end date to this request.
  • add milestone : A milestone is an important event that marks a stage of development within the project.  Use the 'add milestone' link to add a standard milestone to this request.
  • add service : If you have a fee you want added by default to every submitted request, you can add the service by using the 'add service' link on the far right side of the template. The list of possible services is generated from the Add a Service List process .
  • add form : The 'add form' link allows staff to add already built forms from their form library to a project template.  Indicate whether this form will be visible to all users, or core members only. For more information, see Custom Forms ‍.
  • Assign : Select which core staff members should be assigned to receive updates about the request.
  • buffer :  Provide a buffer amount if you think the actual total of the project may exceed the initial estimated cost.  This will eliminate the need for additional customer approval if the total project cost exceeds the initial cost of the project. This can be a percentage of the request total, or a dollar value. This is not a required field
  • price groups : Charge per price class will populate here if default charges have been added to the project template. Note: Institutions can define the name of price groups and may differ from the example.
  • Price Notes : Enter any notes you wish for the user to see when they examine the estimated cost of their project.

When you have completed all fields, click 'Save' to save the template. This project template will now display and be available for selection by your users.



Edit a Project Template

To edit a template, click on the pencil icon beside the template you would like to edit:

This will open up the Edit a Project Template interface, which is identical to the interface discussed in the Creating a Project Template section.


Delete a Project Template

To delete an existing project template, click on the red x beside the template you would like to delete.

A confirmation window will display. Click OK to clear the message and delete the template. Note: This process is not reversible, please be sure you really want to delete the project before clicking OK.


Change Order of Templates

You may change the order of the templates display by clicking the "sort manually" button.

Then, hover over the green arrows until the cross-hairs display. Next, click and hold down the mouse while you move the template up or down.

When you are finished, click the "Finish Sorting" button in the top right hand corner.

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iLab — Editing Services

Editing Services

Role: Core Administrator

Services are the individual offerings of a core, and are found in the bottom panel of the Request Services tab. As a core administrator, you can add/edit the services and change their order.


Create a New Service

To create a new service, click on the 'Add a Service Template' button:

This will open the New Service screen.

  • Name : Enter the name of the service.
  • Request Summary : Enter a description of the service.
  • Catalog Number : If this service is in a catalog, enter the catalog number . NOTE: This is a custom feature for specific institutions. It will only populate for institutions that use it.
  • Category : Assigning a category provides a way to group similar services into a broader topic. Categories are used to visually group services on the Request Services interface. Default behavior is for services to populate in categories. If you do not enter a category, the service will default to "unclassified". To create a new category, click in the category drop down and begin typing the name of the category you wish to create. Once you have typed out the full name click on the underlined category name that populated below. This will then create the new category and assign it to the service.
  • Classification s : Available classification terms are derived in part from the eagle-i resource ontology set. If you have a new classification term you’d like us to consider adding to our ontology database, please submit your request here
  • Require Payment information to initiate request? : Indicate whether you would like to require that users enter payment information to submit a request.
  • Enable for Time Entry : Define if you would like to include this service in your Time Entry tool for members to assign their time. NOTE: This option only available to clients that have the Time Entry module turned on.


  • Visibility for core customers : The options are:
    • Client can request: Client may submit this service as a request.
    • Client can see: Client can see this service but cannot submit a request.
    • Invisible: Client cannot see this service until added to a project request.
  • Public visibility : If set to yes, this service will populate on the core's external landing page and can be seen when not logged in to iLab.
  • Custom Billing Fields : Custom billing codes can be set per service here in the template, or as core default under the administration tab. It provides a way to get unique codes into billing file for clients with billing integration.  NOTE: This feature can only be turned on by an iLab associate.
  • Custom forms to include : If your core's workflow allows users to initiate a service as a request, you can attach a custom form to the service for customers to fill out. For more information, see Custom Forms ‍.


  • Assigned core members : Assign a core staff member to receive notifications about this service.
  • Assign other core members to this resource : Here you may select (or de-select) core members to assign to this service. To assign, click the 'Assign' button beside the name. Note: The list of workers is populated from the Administration tab, members panel.


  • Prices : Enter price per price type here. Price types are core-defined price structures for internal, external, center, and corporate customers and labels may change per institution. You will need to enter a price for each price type you will use within the core. You may also enter an effective date and end date for the price. Please note, if the price expires and a new date has not been entered, a user will not be able to request this service.
  • Subsidies: Subsidies are sums of money granted by the government or a public body to assist with payment of designated services. If you would like to use a subsidy for this service, select from the available subsidies here. Then, enter a percentage of the subsidy you would like to use. If no subsidies display, your core does not currently have any subsidies available. This field is defined at the institution level.


  • Taxes: Indicate how you would like the taxes applied by clicking in the drop down Apply? box and selecting a designation. When you have completed the form, click the green 'Save' button. Note: This feature must be activated by an iLab employee.

Edit a Service

To edit a service, click on the yellow edit pencil to open the service. This will open up the Create a New Service interface. Make edits/updates and click 'Save' .


Delete a Service Template

To delete an existing service template, click on the red x beside the service you would like to delete. A confirmation window will display. Click OK to clear the message and delete the template. Note: This process is not reversible, please be sure you really want to delete the project before clicking OK.


Change the Order of Services

If you would like to change the order the services display, click on the "Sort manually" button.

Then, hover over the green arrows until the cross-hairs display. Click and hold down the mouse and drag the service or the whole category section to the position you would like. Note that you cannot move services between categories. To change the category of a service, you need to change it using the edit functionality above. Click on "Finish Sorting" to save changes.


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iLab — Managing Collaborative Cores

Managing Collaborative Cores

Role: Core Administrator

Collaborating Cores is a function that allows cores to share an individual requester's project request among one or more cores. When shared from the parent core, each core is able to add, edit, complete and delete their own services from the project request. Cores are also able to bill for their own services no matter which core the project originated it. By default, the parent core is the only core able to complete the project request as a whole.

Note : This is an institutional setting that must be enabled. Once enabled, individual cores have the ability to select other cores within their institution with which they will collaborate.  Please contact your iLab Project Manager as soon as you believe that the core you are working with may need to use this feature.

To learn more about collaborative cores:


Edit Collaborative Core Settings

If enabled as the institutional level, you will be able to access the Collaborative Cores settings on the under the core’s Administration tab, where you can indicate which cores you want to collaborate with:

You should also make sure that your core is assigned a unique color. This is an advanced setting under the Service Requests Settings of “Other Settings” and requires an iLab employee to set for you. Each core collaborating with one another should have a different color designation.


Using the Collaborative Cores Workflow

When implementing collaborative cores, a “group” training session between all of the cores to cover the “collaborative” addition to their workflow is needed. If cores are newly implementing, this should occur after the workflow portion of training for each core has taken place.

To see the addition of collaborating cores in your site, you will need to navigate to the View All Requests tab and expand an existing project using the blue triangle on the left hand side. You will see a new section that displays under “Payment Information” that shows “Collaborative Options".

Now, choose and select the appropriate tick-boxes to indicate which cores this core will share the selected project with.

NOTE: It will be very important when you train your cores that you illustrate that your core should only use the first column (Request Shared) for this initial stage of collaboration.

You’ll notice now that a new icon displays next to the collaborative project. You can see who the originating core is by hovering over this icon, as well as by referencing the Service ID. The project will now show on the View All Requests tab for all collaborating cores.

The next step in the workflow allows each core (that has been added as a collaborator to this project) to add their own core specific Forms, Service Costs, and Milestones.  Each addition to the project will be identified by a corresponding color flag to the immediate left of the form/service cost/etc.

NOTE: Every core that is collaborating will be able to see and review all of the information (forms, costs, milestones, attachments, urls and comments) that each core is adding to the project. Cores are only able to adjust their own core specific details (i.e. forms, costs, milestones) . This allows each core to add, amend, edit, complete, and bill for their own services independently from what the other collaborating cores may be doing to the overall project. The ability to close and complete the project in its entirety is the sole provenance of the originating core.

Originating and collaborating cores involved with the project will be able to keep abreast of the projects using the status table.

In order to use this status table it is incumbent upon each of the collaborating cores to update the Quote Ready, Work Complete, and Ready to Bill columns as each of those states is reached.  This will communicate to the originating core when it is appropriate for them to complete and close out the entire project.

Once all of the collaborating cores have marked on the status table that their portion of the collaborative workflow has reached the “Ready to Bill” status, the final step in the process is to have the originating core close and complete the project.

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iLab — Managing Recurring Charges

Managing Recurring Charges

Role: Core Administrator

The recurring charges feature allows cores to set a number of cycles for a given period in which a charge should be added and marked as complete. This is  beneficial for cores that charge the same service(s) on a regular basis under one service/project request.


Turn on Recurring Charges

As a Core Administrator you can turn on recurring charges. To do this go to the Other Settings banner under the Administration tab . Once the sub-groups open, click on the Service Requests option. Turn the setting Allow recurring charges on service request? to Yes , the click Apply at the bottom of the section to save the change.


Create a Recurring Charge

A new service or an existing service that your core offers can be set up as a recurring charge. A service will be set up as a recurring charge through the service's settings . In the settings you will see a panel of editing sections along the left, one of the options is Recurring Settings , click on the section or scroll down to access the section.

Once you see the Recurring Settings section, all settings will not be displayed until the recurring option is enabled.


  1. Allow Service to be chargeable on a recurring basis: Turn this on to enable recurring charges for this service.
  2. Do not allow requester to change recurrence pattern: When you turn this on the person requesting the service will not be able to indicate pattern when the charges will occur. You will set this in the next setting for them.
  3. Service charged every: Select from the drop down the pattern for when the service will be charged.
  4. Allow service to repeat indefinitely: Turn this setting on if you would like the recurring charge to continue until manually stopped, rather than stopping automatically on a set date or after a set number of cycles.
  5. Maximum number of cycles to run before requiring customer re-approval: Indicate the number of recurring charges that can occur without customer re-approval.
  6. Select a configuration: Choose from the list the configuration you would like to set for your recurring charges. The Description and Example provide information on how each configuration works.

Add a Recurring Charge to a Request

To add a recurring charge to a service request, click the add service link on the request, this will open the list of service can that be added to the request. Locate the service you need to add, type in a quantity and click on the calendar icon under the service's price.

Once you click the calendar icon, the options on configuring the recurring service will display under the service. Complete the fields for how the recurring charges will be added to the request. All fields with red stars are required. When you have completed the fields, click Add .

After the recurring charge has been added to the request it will be shown in red. To begin the recurring charge click Process . The recurring charge will not begin even if the start date is reached until the Process button has been clicked.

Once you click the Process button, the recurring charge will turn green, indicating that it is active. The active recurring charge will now have the buttons Complete , Cancel , and Pause , that can be used as needed.

To view the charges added as a result of the recurring charge, click on the blue triangle to the left of the line item to toggle the item open. All charges accrued as a result of this recurring charge will be listed below it. The charges will be listed as Ready To Bill and Completed which will allow them to be included in upcoming Billing Events.

The Complete button will end the recurrence and will only add/bill for charges up until the point of being marked as completed.

Once you click the Process button, the recurring charge will turn green, indicating that it is active, and the buttons Complete , Cancel , and Pause , can be used as needed.

Note: You are not able to edit the settings for any charge in Processing status. To make any adjustments, you will need to delete the incorrect active charge line and re-add it as new.

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iLab Support

View All Requests

iLab — Overview of View All Requests

Overview of View All Requests

Role: Core Administrator

The View All Requests tab is a central queue for all service request submissions within your core. View All Requests is initially set as the default tab upon login to the core (this can be adjusted under the Administration Tab ). The most recent submissions will automatically be placed at the top of the page and the status column can be used to quickly decipher the status of each request and the actions needed.  From here, you can open each individual request to view details and take action on a service request submission.

NOTE: Enabling of other iLab modules can add additional tabs and buttons to your site and cause a slight variation in content.

  1. Message Customers: This button allows for the core to filter and send a bulk message to users of the facility. To learn more about how this works, please see the Message Customers section.
  2. Reload Active Requests: The "Reload Active Requests" button is a quick way to refresh the service request list, filtering for only active service requests.
  3. Active Requests: This drop down allows you to choose the requests you would like to display on your View All Requests Tab. This can include completed, canceled, and equipment charges that have been confirmed. There are many options in this section to allow filtering of requests by only the status you choose.
  4. Filters: Allows for narrowing the search results and only display service requests that fit a specific criteria as chosen in the filters. For more information on this functionality, please view the section on Using Filters .
  5. Blue Triangle: Clicking on the blue triangle toggles open the request and shows a detailed view of a Single Service Request ‍.
  6. Date: This is the date the request is submitted. The most recent submission will be at the top of the queue.
  7. For: This column is the name of the researcher and the research group they belong to.
  8. Service ID: This is the identifier for the request. If using the standard iLab naming convention, this identifier will be unique.
  9. Status: Current status of the request.This allows the core to easily see requests that require action. For more information on each status, please view the Request Status section.
  10. Payment Number: Any payment information entered will be shown here.
  11. Cost: The actual versus projected (quoted) cost will display here.
  12. Action Icons: This section allows for entering payment information, communication between the core and facility, printing or canceling the request, and refreshing a single request. For more information on these icons, please view Changing Fund Informatio n and Edit Request Actions .

For more information about actions that can be taken on a single service request view, please select see Managing a Single Service Request ‍.

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iLab — Message Customers (Service Requests)

Message Customers (Service Requests)

Role: Core Administrator

On the View All Requests tab , there is an button titled, "Message Customers". This functionality allows you to send an email about a service request to the service request owner.

Click on the "Message Customers" button to open the Message Customers window.

There are three data points required to message customers from a service request. Select a date range for requests, select request by a keyword search, OR select requests by status (or state). Only one of these elements is required.

  • Select a date range : Enter a date range for the requests for which you wish to send an email. Or, you may choose to select a pre-designated range, including "this week", next week", "last week", "this month", etc.
  • Search through projects by keyword : You may choose to select projects by entering a key word; for example, a project name. To do so, begin entering the keyword and appropriate results will display. Click on a project to select it.
  • Search through projects in the following state : Use the drop down box to select a specific service requests status to search. Now, click the "Click Here to Find Customers" button to display all the service requests that fit your search criteria.
  • Select customers to email : Check the box to the left of the customer(s) name to select who should receive the email.
  • Send emails : Enter an email text then select "click here to send emails".

When you have finished entering your data, click on the "Click here to send emails" button.


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iLab — Using Filters

Using Filters

Role: Core Administrator

As the View All Requests tab is the queue for all requests within the core, it may become necessary to narrow the search results and only display service requests that fit a specific criteria. In those instances, filters can be applied to track or locate specific requests.


Filter Requests

Filters display on the left side of the View All Requests tab, as displayed below.

Each tab that displays is a data point you can use to search specific service requests. Use the small arrow beside the data point to expand the list, and check the box beside the data you wish to search.

Note: The number in parentheses beside each data point indicates the number of service requests that contain that particular data point.

Once we have selected all of our search parameters, click on Apply Filters button to display your results.

Your filtered list will now display.

In the case above, we have filtered for "Status" (Processing) and "Lab" (Wiegland, Keyon). The appropriate requests are now displayed on the page.

You also have  the option to download your requests into a .csv file, with the "Download Results as CSV" button.


Create a Filter Tab

You may create a tab for specific searches that you use often.  To create a tab from your filter, click on "Create Tab from Filters".

Then, name your filter and provide a description, if desired. You may also designate who may view your filter tab  by using the drop-down menu.

When you have completed these fields, click "Create".

Your new tabbed search now displays. Every time you load the page and click on your new tab, the page will automatically pull all of the requests that meet your established criteria for display.


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iLab — Managing a Single Service Request

Managing a Single Service Request

Role: Core Administrator

Every project request within the View All Requests tab will require management by core staff, in order to move the request through the core workflow. Specific actions can be taken within each request to build out the total cost, add any additional forms or events, assign staff members, and in general, manage communication with the customer. A single service request can be viewed by toggling open the blue triangle on the left hand side of the request.


Layout of Individual Service Request

  1. Status Bar: This section is visible on the View all Requests tab when the request has not been opened or expanded. It contains general information about the request including, user, research group, status, cost and payment information.
  2. Overview: This section contains details on the request as a whole, including institution, lab information, customer information, and most importantly, the direct URL to this request.
  3. Payment information: Tells information on cost and fund numbers assigned to the request.  For more information on how to update this area please see Changing Fund/Payment Information ‍.
  4. Forms and Request Details: All of the forms used to gather information for the core, and any services and/or milestones added to the request will live here. You may also create a new PDF in this area, and or view a pdf quote that was previously generated. For more information on this section, Managing services/charges , Managing forms , and Using Milestones ‍  will give detailed information.
  5. Other Request Information : The bottom section of the single service request houses some important tools for communicating with customers. Customers and the core facility can click on the 'add comment' link to correspond with one another regarding the request. Please see Adding Comments for more information.‍ Important attachments and URLs can also be added in using the links to the right. Service Request History provides a history of when changes were made. Also, Billing and Shipping information can be viewed and/or updated using the edit link.

Edit Service Request Details

Under the overview section of a single service request, there are a number of editable fields. You can access this section by clicking on the edit link to the far right hand side of the page.

  1. Service id: This is the unique identifier assigned by iLab. The default Service id format is {Core Name Initials-Last Name of Researcher-unique number that populates sequentially}.  Each service id is editable here but please note that iLab does not validate this field for duplicates once it has been edited. To learn other default options available, please see Service Requests Settings .
  2. Summary: This is a custom field that can be edited and will be visible underneath the service id without opening the single service request.
  3. Request Summary: This section allows for custom details about the request to be added‍. These details can then be shown on the pdf quote when generated.
  4. Related data: This section allows for custom details about the request to be added. The information entered here is not shown in any other area.
  5. Status: Core administrators are able to override the current workflow status. This is helpful when financial approval is not needed, or when a request was completed prematurely and needs to be reopened. Note: the Status field may not be editable if your organisation doesn't allow this
  6. Lab: The research group that the requester belongs to is listed here. If a requester belongs to more than one lab, there is a change lab link that will appear and allow the core to change labs if the original lab was incorrect.
  7. Projected cost: This will populate with the initial cost agreed to by both the core and the researcher.
  8. Quote expires on: This is the date the core has given the researcher in which the quote provided will no longer be valid.
  9. Save or Cancel: Be sure to 'Save' your changes or 'Cancel' to exit the editing screen.

Manage Services/Charges

Individual services or charges can be added to a service request. Each service item will appear as a separate line row, and will include information about the service/charge.

  1. Date: This is the date and time that a service/charge is added.
  2. Name of Service/charge: A charge will be differentiated by (charge) prior to the name entered.
  3. Notes: This field is editable and allows a custom note pertaining to the service.
  4. Quantity: Quantity of service/charge added.
  5. Unit Price: Price per quantity of 1.
  6. Total Price: Quantity x Unit Price
  7. Billing Status: Charges can be billed individually. A status of 'Ready to Bill' will complete this service and allow it to become available for billing.
  8. Work Status: Charges must be 'completed' prior to being available for billing.
  9. Action Button: Once a charge line has been added and approved by the researcher, it will move into a work status of 'Financials Approved' and an action button appears to move to the next step. The next step is 'Processing' and then it moves to 'Complete'. Once a charge has reached complete status, it is ready to be billed.
  10. Payment Information and Red X: Payment information can be differentiated per charge if necessary, by clicking on the dollar sign icon. The red X deletes the charge.

Add a Service

Adding services allows the facility to add in actual cost or projected cost (for building a quote) to the service request. To add a service, click on the 'add service' link.

From the pop up services window, you can search and select available services by using the search option, by expanding the categories and viewing the services within each category or alphabetically by using the "show alphabetically" link. To select by searching, enter a key word in the text box and then press the arrow to begin the search. In the example below, we are searching for "DNA" and have received one match under the Sequencing category: DNA Sanger Sequencing.

Select the service you want to add, enter a quantity in the text field, and click on the green plus sign.

To select a service from a category, click on the category name to expand it,  then select your service by entering a quantity and clicking the green plus sign.

Finally, you may search by scrolling through an alphabetical list of all the available services. To do so, click on the "Show alphabetically" link.

The services list will display alphabetically. To add a service, enter a quantity and click the green plus sign.

When you add a service by any one of these methods, your service will immediately be added to your service request as a line item charge.


Add a Charge

A charge can be added when a core performs a task that is not covered in the Services List. As Core Administrator, you will have the ability to add a charge to a service request if you deem it necessary. Please note that while charges as a whole can be reported on, differentiation of the charges is not possible in reporting. If a service needs specific reporting, it should be added to the Services List.  To add a charge, click on the 'add charge' link within the single service request.

Here, you may add the details of your charge. The first three of the fields are free text; you may enter any information you would like. Categories can be added by selecting new category. Note: categories cannot be deleted.

Your charge will now display in the service request. The customized name will appear along with the word (charge) before it.


Manage Forms

To add a form to an existing service request, click on the add form link. This will populate a list of all forms created within the core. If you need help with creating a form please review the Custom Forms ‍ section.

Click on the green plus sign to add the form into the request. You can then determine who the form should be visible to. Options are 'Visible' which is both the user and core or 'Core Only'. The core administrator can also mark a form as Not Started, In Progress, or Completed.  Additionally, the form can be printed, emailed and deleted by core staff.


Manage Milestones

Milestones can be used to mark a stage of development within a project. Milestones can be assigned to core staff members and can contain information specific to this project. iLab Milestones are visible to both core staff and customer, allowing both sides to see the progress of the project. Additionally, auto-generated emails can be set for core staff to see when one milestone has been completed and another needs to start. To learn more about how to create and manage milestones, please refer to Using Milestones ‍.


Manage Events

When enabled, core staff have the ability to add events to a resource calendar, directly from the View All Requests tab. This is helpful if the core staff will assume responsibility for scheduling time on behalf of the user, and has received a request to do so. To see the add event interface, click on the 'add event' link.

This will open the 'Add event' interface and allow the core to schedule on one or multiple instruments.

  1. Search for the resources you want to schedule.
  2. Adjust the search time to the time frame needed to schedule
  3. Individual resources can also be adjusted
  4. Click 'Book' for each resource or 'Book all' for multiple resources to save the events.
  5. The calendar will show all instruments selected above, availability on each instrument and the reservations that were just made.

Closing out of this interface will show the reservation on the single service request.


Change Row Order

There are times when the order of forms, milestones, services, and charges, and events need to be reordered.  You can change the order by clicking on 'change order'.

Next, click on the icon to the left of the item you wish to move, and drag it up or down to adjust the order. Click 'Finish'. You will now see the revised order.


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iLab — Request Status

Request Status

Role: All users

Request status is important to both the user and the facility as it indicates the status of each individual project request. The request status of a project changes as the project moves through the workflow of the core. A typical workflow is illustrated below. Please note that facilities may have differing workflows. For more information on request approval workflow, please see Request Services .‍







The request status is an easy visual for all users to view the status of their active requests. This can be found on the View All Requests tab within the core. In addition, all users will see action buttons if they are responsible for taking the next step in the process. Note: Hovering over a status in the service request will display a definition of the status.

Service Request statuses are as follows:

  • Waiting to Submit to Researcher : This request is in a draft state. Only core employees can see this request. Click on the " Submit " button to present the request to the customer.
  • Waiting to Submit to Core : This request is in a draft state. The core cannot see the request. Click on the " Submit " button to present the request to the core.
  • Waiting for Researcher Approval : The core has submitted this request to the researcher. Next, the researcher has the options to " Agree " or " Disagree " to the work and projected cost.
  • Waiting for Core to Agree : The researcher has submitted the work request to the core. Next, the core has the options to: provide a projected/anticipated cost and " Agree " to the work or " Disagree ".
  • Waiting for Researcher to Agree : The core has agreed to the work and projected cost. Next, the researcher has the options to " Agree " or " Disagree " to the work and projected cost.
  • Waiting for Financial Approval : The researcher and the core have agreed upon the work and projected cost. The researcher has a PI or manager who must review the projected cost and has the options to " Agree " or " Disagree " to the spending.
  • Waiting for the Core to Begin : The projected cost has been approved for this request. Next, the core will indicate when they have started processing the requests by clicking on the " Begin " button.
  • Processing : This service request is currently processing. The core can click on the " Complete " button when all the work has been completed. Charges may be billed at any time for work that is completed.
  • Completed : The service request is complete. All charges will be marked as ready to be billed.
  • Cancelled : This service request has been cancelled.
  • Rejected : This service request has been rejected.
  • Researcher disagrees : The researcher has disagreed to the projected cost or work. Please contact the researcher to resolve. The researcher has the option to " Agree " once all the issues have been resolved.
  • Equipment Charges : This service request is a container for scheduled equipment charges.
  • Needs Department Approval : The projected cost for this request needs to be approved by a department manager . The department manager has the options to " Agree " or " Disagree " to the projected cost.
  • Core disagrees : The core has disagreed to the projected cost or work. The customer can contact the core staff to resolve any issues. The core has the option to " Agree " to the service request when all necessary data has been collected and both parties have settled on the terms.


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iLab — Changing Fund/Payment Information

Changing Fund/Payment Information

Role: All users

There are times when payment information changes or was not entered and it becomes necessary to add or update payment information.  Changing the fund/payment information on service request or individual charges can be done up to the point where the charges are successfully billed. Information can be updated by the user, core staff, or PI/Lab Manager.


Identify payment Icons

Fund/payment information can be accessed by clicking on the green dollar sign icon to the right of either a service request or an individual charge. There are four versions of this icon:

  • : (blue check-mark) the request/charge has valid fund/payment information
  • : (yellow pencil) the request/charge does not have valid fund/payment information
  • : (red exclamation point) the fund/payment number is expiring within 30 days (only present with certain integrations)
  • : (yellow triangle) the fund/payment number has been removed from the request (only present with certain integrations)

Change Fund/Payment Information for a Service Request

To change the Fund/Payment information that applies to an entire Service Request, find the request in the View All Requests tab of your core, and then click the dollar icon for that request:

This will open of the service request fund window, which lists the charges that are part of the service request at the top.

To change the fund information you need to:

  1. Select the charges to which you want the new fund information applied.
  2. Select or change the desired payment method , as discussed in more detail in Payment Methods ‍.

By checking the "make default for project?" check-box, the selected payment method will be used for any new charges added to the project.


Change Fund/Payment Information for an Individual Charge

You can also change the payment information for specific charge that are part of a service request, or that are associated with resource reservations. To do so,  click on the dollar sign icon for that specific charge:

This will open up the payment pop-up:

Select or change the desired payment method, as discussed in more detail in Payment Methods ‍, and click "Save".

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iLab — Edit Request Actions

Edit Request Actions

Roles: Core Administrator/Staff, All Users (limited access)

The request detail view provides an interface to edit various aspects of the request. From here, you can perform various actions.


Accessing the Edit Request Interface

To the right of each service request, there is a yellow pencil icon that offers project management actions for each service request. Click on the yellow pencil icon to open the action options.

The actions interface will open. Note that certain actions are only actionable to Core Administrators.


Cancel a Service Request

Customers can cancel a request in a "Draft", Waiting for core to agree" or "Waiting for Researcher Approval" statuses by selecting the "Cancel" option from the Edit Request interface (red "stop sign" icon). After confirmation, the request will be canceled in iLab. Note: Requests cannot be deleted in iLab, only canceled.
Core Staff may cancel a request any time.


Print a Service Request

Any user may print a request using the "Print" action. This brings up an interface where you can select which elements of the request should be included. Next click on either the "web" button below to render as HTML (web page) or on the "pdf" button to generate a PDF file. Note: make sure that your browser allows you to open pop-ups to allow the rendered request to be visible.


Assign a Service Request

Core Administrators can delegate work by assigning a service request to core staff members. Click on the " track work" link ("spanner" icon). Under the "Assigned To" section, click on the down arrow to see a list of all core staff members listed in iLab (everyone who is added to the "Members" panel under the Administration tab). C lick on the name of the staff you wish to assign to work on this request, and then click on the " add worker " button . The name you selected will now display right below the "Assigned To" header. You can remove an assigned worker by clicking on the red "X" to the right of their name.

The assigned worker can also be viewed by core staff and core customers on the View All Requests Tab .


Update Service Request Dates

Core Administrators can update various dates associated with Service Requests and the underlying charges. Click on the "track work" link and refer to the "Schedule" panel:

  • Submitted on : Change this date to update the date at which the request was updated. Note: Not all institutions allow this date to be changed.
  • Also set purchase date for all charges on this request : Check this box to also set the "purchase date" for all charges that are part of this request to the "submitted on" date above.
  • Start on: Set the date the core would like to start the work for this request (used for internal tracking by the core).
  • Due by : Set the due date of the request (used for internal tracking by the core). Specifically, you can filter requests by this due date in the various filter interfaces.
  • Completed : Manually set the completion date of the overall request. This date cannot be in the future.
  • Also set the completion date for all charges that have not been set : Check this box to also set the completion date of all charges in this request to the completed date above.

Note that the "Apply changes" button is red when there are new changes that have not yet been saved . When you are finished adding dates, click on "Apply changes" to save.


Add Labels to a Service Request

Core staff may assign their own labels to a service request and filter for the labels in the various filter interfaces. To do so, click on the "labels" link. Then, enter single word labels in the text box, and click "Save".

To enter a multi-word label, simply surround your label with quotation marks. (In this case, we also entered "multi-word label".)

Your labels will be visible in the request details view (under Overview) and can be filtered for on the View All Requests Tab (see Filters).


Get Direct Request Link

The Edit Request interface provides you with a direct link to the request in the URL section, which you can copy and provide to the core or the customer:

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iLab — Adding Comments

Adding Comments

Role: All users

Adding comments to a request is a good way for the core and the requester to communicate back and forth regarding the project. Comments can be added from two locations.

From the communication bubble under the actions column when looking at all requests in the queue:

Or from the comments section within a single service request:

Each access point opens the comments window:

The window will display an available list of contacts. Additional emails may be added and need to be separated by a comma. Enter your comment in the Message box and click "Send Message". A message will be sent to each of the users you selected.

Your comment will be emailed and also display in the Comments section of the service request:

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iLab — Using Milestones

Using Milestones

Role: Core Administrator

A milestone is a project management tool used to mark a stage of development within a project. Milestones can be assigned to core staff members and can contain information specific to this project. iLab Milestones are visible to both core staff and customer, allowing both sides to see the progress of the project. Additionally, auto-generated emails can be set for core staff to see when one milestone has been completed and another needs to start. To assign milestones, begin by accessing an individual service request on your View All Requests tab .


Create a New Milestone

Navigate to your service request, then click on the blue arrow to expand the service request view. Below all charges and forms will be the "add milestone" link, click on the link.

The milestone window will display.

Name your milestone. This can be core specific and is a free text field. You can also choose to include a duration for the milestone and target date for completion. A description of the milestone can also be added. Note: iLab does not validate any of these fields, they are informational only.

Click "save" and close the window.

Your milestone will display in the service request.


Assign a Core Member

Once a milestone has been added, you have the ability to assign core staff members from the View All Requests tab to the milestone by clicking on the yellow pencil icon.

The editing window will open, allowing you to assign a core staff member by clicking inside the "Select Persons" box. A list of core members will populate in the drop down . To select a user, click on the name. You may assign multiple members to a single milestone. (NOTE: The pencil icon will not become active until the status is changed to "Started" or "Finished".)

Click "save", then exit out of the window. Your milestone is now assigned. Note that if you hover over the people icon, the assigned members display.


Track a Milestone

Once a milestone has been added, you may manage and track a milestone throughout the cycle of the service request. You can also define which milestone notifications are sent to which users in the Email Settings ‍ .

To change the status, click on the status bar. You may select from "Not started", "Started" and "Finished".


Edit a Milestone

If you would like to edit an existing milestone, click on the yellow pencil icon beside the milestone. The Edit Milestone window displays allowing you to make changes.

Click "save". Then exit out of the window.

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iLab Support

Advanced Sample Processing

iLab — Overview of Advanced Sample Processing

Overview of Advanced Sample Processing

Role: Core Administrator

Advanced Sample Processing is functionality offered by iLab to facilitate the processing of laboratory samples, including steps from the receipt of the specimen in the laboratory to the delivery of a stained slide ready for microscopic examination. This is done through the creation of processors, containers, and sample forms, which all work together to create a sample request fulfillment process.

The necessary elements of Advanced Sample Processing are as follows:

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iLab — Creating a Container Type

Creating a Container Type

Role: Core Administrators

A container is any vessel that contains samples as the core defines. Examples include a plate (96 well or 384 well), an 8-lane flow cell, or any other specialized configurations. Containers are used in the Advanced Sample Processing module.

After clicking the "Administration" button on the Samples tab, go to the Container Types section and choose "New Container Type".

You will be presented with options to help customize the configuration of your container.

  1. Name : Assign a descriptive name to your new container type (i.e. 96-well plate, 8 lane flowcell)
  2. Description: Using the rich-text editor provided, you can optionally add a description of the container type
  3. Dimensions : Configure the dimensions of your container by entering the appropriate numbers of columns and rows your container has. Alternatively, you can use the slider bars to create columns and rows
  4. Required X and Y-axis Label Length : The number of characters your X and Y axis labels will contain. For example, if you would like your plate well coordinates to be formatted like this: “A10”, where the X axis is represented by the “10” and the Y axis by “A” - set your X axis label length to “2” and your Y axis label length to be 1
  5. Label Slots By : Choose whether you would like each coordinate in your container to be labeled as a slot or as X and Y axes. If the axis option is chosen, you can select whether each axis should be labeled numerically or alphabetically
  6. Grid Preview : A you are configuring your container, you will see the changes to your container displayed in real-time at the bottom of the screen in the Grid Preview section.

Once you have entered all the values into the required fields, click "Save" button to finalize the creation of your container. Alternatively, you can click "Cancel" and the container type will not be created.

Here is an example of a 96 well plate Container type:

96 well plate container.jpg
















Once you have completed creating your container type, click the "Save" button in the bottom right corner of the page.

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iLab — Creating and Managing Sample Request Forms

Creating and Managing Sample Request Forms

Role: Core Administrator

A sample request form is a document used by your customers to order samples from your core. It is created and maintained by core administrators and can be configured to include any fields you require.


Create a Sample Request Form

Your sample request form is the request form your customer will fill out when submitting samples and requesting services. This form is configurable and offers many different types of field options.

On your Samples tab, click on the "Administration" button to begin creating a new sample request form.

You will be presented with the option to create three different sample elements. Click on the "New Sample Form" button.

You will now be presented with options to help you configure your sample request form.

  1. Name : Assign a descriptive name to your new sample request form
  2. Description : You can optionally add a description of the sample request form
  3. Column that represents sample's name : Designate which field in your form will be identified as the primary Sample Name field. To populate this drop-down menu, you will need to first create your request form, save it, and then return to edit the form to update the Sample Name Column with an existing field.
  4. Columns to display on desk file for plate : Designate which field in your form will be identified on the desk file. To populate this drop-down menu, you will need to first create your request form, save it, and then return to edit the form to update this field with an existing field in the form.
  5. Active columns: This field lists all the columns you have created for your form. To populate this field, put your cursor on the box header (i.e. "String 1", "Integer 2", etc.), click, and drag the item into the Active Columns section, and arrange them in the order you would like them to display in the request form.
  6. Available columns : There are several different types of fields available. What field type you choose will be dependent on the type of information you want your customer to enter. Below are some short definitions.
  • Strings : A string allows for customer entry of short text entries. A maximum of 10 String fields may be added to a form.
  • Integers : Integers allow for customer entry of whole numbers. A maximum of 5 Integer fields may be added to a form.
  • Decimals : Decimals allow for customer entry of numbers that contain decimal points. A maximum of 5 Decimal fields may be added to a form.
  • Boolean : Use a Boolean field for Yes or No type questions. A maximum of 5 Boolean fields may be added to a form.
  • Services : Use this field when you would like to allow users to add services at the individual sample level. Services must be created in the iLab system first before they will be available in the drop-down menu. Information on how to create Services can be found here . A maximum of 5 Services fields may be added to a form.
  • Text : A text is a larger text field for multiple sentences or paragraphs of information. A maximum of 3 Text fields may be added to a form.
  • Drop-downs : A drop-down is a larger text field for multiple sentences or paragraphs of information. A maximum of 3 Drop-down fields may be added to a form.

Within each field, you will also see a Display? checkbox option. Select which fields you would like to be visible in your Open Samples Submissions list.

Once you have defined your form fields, you will need to add them to the Active Columns section. To do so, put your cursor on the column header (i.e. "String 1", "Integer 2", etc.), click, and drag the item into the Active Columns section, and arrange them in the order you would like them to display in the request form. You can rearrange the fields within the box by dragging them left or right. You can also remove a field from the box by clicking the red "Remove" box.

Now, click the green "Save" button and refresh the page. You may now go back into the saved form and complete the "Column that represents samples name" field by clicking on the drop down box (now populated with the fields you added). Select a field. Once you have completed your sample request form, click "Save". You will be returned to the Samples tab homepage, where you can now view your new request form.


Manage Sample Request Forms

You may also edit an existing sample request form. While on the Administration tab, go to the Sample Forms section, find the form you would like to edit, and click the edit icon located in the Actions column.

You may also delete a sample form by clicking the red x in the Actions column.

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iLab — Creating and Managing a Processor

Creating and Managing a Processor

Role: Core Administrator

A processor is a core-built automator that defines how to process/manage samples, and creating one is the final step in constructing your sample processing workflow. The creation of a processor allows you to flexibly combine a container type with a sample request form for different types of customer project requests.

To create a processor, first click on the "administration" button from your Samples tab.

Then, click on the "New Processor" button.

The "Create new processor" form will display. Descriptions of each field follow the image.

  1. Name : Assign a descriptive name to your new processor
  2. Description : Using the rich-text editor provided, you can optionally add a description of the processor.
  3. Container : This is a live search field. Start typing the name of the container you wish to associate to this processor or search through the drop-down menu that displays.
  4. Sample Form : This is a live search field. Start typing the name of the sample request form you wish to associate to this processor or search through the drop-down menu that displays.
  5. Well Sorting Direction : Assign the wells for sample submitted as a plate to sort either vertically or horizontally by default.
  6. Available Test Samples : These are specific sample types, defined by the core, that may be inserted into the container along with customer samples. These may include entities such as “controls”, “blanks”, “water” etc. Type in the name of each test sample you would like to have available, separating each sample type with a comma.
  7. Available Analysis Protocols : Enter available analysis protocols.
  8. Available Run Protocols : Enter available run protocols.
  9. Sample Type Submission Help : Add text here to help a customer decide whether to submit individual samples or full containers.
  10. Available Services Submission Help : Add text here to inform customer about available services they can associate with their request.
  11. Sample Submission Help : Add text here to assist a customer in filling out their sample request form.
  12. Available Submission Types : Choose whether you wish to allow customer to submit: individual samples, samples in full containers, or both. Switching the button to blue indicates that type of sample submission is allowed.
  13. Billing : Also referred to as “service groupings”, this is where pricing and additional services can be associated with a processor. Multiple service groupings can be associated with a processor, and flexibly tailored to accommodate different types of service requests. Please see Create a Service Grouping ‍  section for more.
  14. File templates : Set up files to upload into your instruments. Please see Creating a File Template ‍ section for more.

When you have completed all fields, click on the green "Create" button to save the processor and return to the Samples home.

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iLab — Creating a Service Grouping

Creating a Service Grouping

Role: Core Administrator

Service groupings are a set of services used together on a single request. To create a new service grouping, click the Service Grouping button within the Billing section.

You will now be presented with options to help you customize the configuration of your service groupings.

  1. Name : Assign a descriptive name to your new service grouping.
  2. Description : You can optionally add a description of the service grouping.
  3. Services in this grouping will be applied to : Services, or charges, in this grouping will be applied either at the individual sample level or on an entire container.
  4. Services in this grouping available when : Services in this grouping can be available for selection when a customer chooses to submit individual samples; when they choose to submit samples in full containers; or either scenario.
  5. Services : Services must be created in the iLab system first before they will be available in the drop-down menu. Please refer to Editing Services ‍for information on how to create Services in iLab. To add a service to your service grouping, select the desired service from the drop-down menu and then click "Add". You will then decide if this service should always be applied or if the customer will have the option to choose this service or not:
  • Always Apply : Check this checkbox if this service and its associated charge will always be applied to the request. The customer will not have the option to deselect this service and its cost.
  • Selected by Default : Check this checkbox if this service and its associated charge can optionally be selected on the customer request form. By default, this service will be pre-selected on the customer request form, but the customer will have the option to deselect this service’s checkbox.
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iLab — Creating a File Template

Creating a File Template

Role: Core Administrator

A file template allows you to build a downloadable file that can be used to upload into an instrument’s data collection software. It can contain static and dynamic fields with information about the plate and the samples. File Templates are used in the Advanced Sample Processing module.


Create a File Template

To create a file template, first click on the "administration" button from your Samples tab.

Then, click on the edit pencil icon to the right of the processor. If you do not have a pre-existing processor, please see Creating a Processor .‍

Scroll down to the bottom where the "file templates" section is located, and click the "+ file template" button.

The "New processor file" form will display. Descriptions of each field follow the image.

  1. Name : Name of your file template. This is helpful if you need more than one file.
  2. File extension : Your file extension should match the format requirement of the instrument’s data collection software. Possible file extensions are xlsx, csv, txt.
  3. Column delimiter : You can set the column delimiter to space, tabulation, or new line. Tabulation is the most frequently used option.
  4. Well sorting direction : If your customers submit plates rather than individual samples, this field will allow you to determine which direction the wells should automatically be sorted by upon submission.
  5. Row delimiter : Leave this field blank.
  6. Add new block : Blocks allow you to determine what columns and information populate in the file template. See adding a new block and column types for additional information on setting up the blocks in your file.

Add a new block

Blocks are parts of the file that follow a similar pattern. They comprise the file in a vertical order and could consist of different number of columns. Each block has a column label and column value. There are three types of blocks: raw, single row, and sample row. Some files may have just one block, while others could have a combination of the block types.

Start by adding blocks from top to bottom. While it is easy to rearrange columns within a block, entire blocks can't be moved up or down.

Raw Block

The raw block is part of the file that has a single label or value that doesn’t span more than one column. It is a static part that doesn’t change. If your file has a title or some sort of initial text, this may be a good example of a Raw block.

Single Row Block

This part of the file represents column labels and a single row of column values. It may contain static columns that are constant or dynamic columns that pull it’s value from the container or the processor.

Samples Row Block

This is the most important part of the file. It represents column label and a number of rows. Usually there are as many rows as there are samples assigned on that plate. The values in the rows could be static or dynamic. Dynamic values can be pulled from the container, processor, or from the sample.


Define Column Types

Columns of the file can be static or dynamic.

Static column types

A static column’s value does not change per plate or sample. It is predetermined when the file is built.

Dynamic column types and column values

Dynamic columns populate a value using information from the container, the processor, or the samples. Your selection in the "column type" dropdown of a dynamic column will determine if your column value should pull information from the container, the processor, or the sample.

  • Container (or plate) allows you to pull various information about the current plate the samples are on, for example: container ID (plate ID), date it was created, person it was assigned to, run protocol for this plate, etc.
  • Option processor allows you pull information about the processor this plate was submitted through, for example: processor name, kind of the container associated with it, default submission type for this processor or even the name of the core.
  • Option Samples allows you to pull information from the sample form the user has submitted to the core. It has all grid columns as a choice plus Well Number, Owner name, PI, Request ID.

Merged Columns

Merged columns allow information entered separately by the user to be combined into one value for the instrument. For example, there may be separate columns on the sample form for the user to enter “Sample name” and “Primer name”, but the instrument requires that information to be in one column as “Sample name.Primer name”.

To build merged column, add a regular column (static or dynamic) representing the first value, then click “add merged column” and enter the second value in the bottom 'column value'.


Download the File

Once you have completed these steps, you have now created your file template. Once you have finalized your plate, you'll be able to download your file template.

Select the plate's details using the magnifying glass icon next to the plate name.

Scroll down and select the "download plate file" button. If you have multiple file template options, you'll get a dropdown allowing you to select the appropriate file.


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iLab — Processing a Sample

Processing a Sample

Role: Core Administrator

O nce the full Advanced Sample Processing workflow has been set up, the core is ready to receive and process requests with samples.


Receive a Sample Processing Request

Once a customer has submitted their service request, their order will then populate in your core’s View All Requests tab. When the customer samples have been received into the lab, the core facility staff can then mark that request off as "Ready to Begin". This will change the status of the customer request to "Processing".

  1. View All Requests : You'll see all requests submitted to the core in this tab.
  2. Next step button of 'Begin' : When you're ready to begin work on the request, click 'Begin.'
  3. 'Processing' status : Clicking 'Begin' will update the status of the customer request to Processing. The project MUST be in a status of Processing to assign any associated samples to a plate.

Once a request has assumed a status of Processing, all samples from that request will now be displayed in the Open Sample Submissions worklist and will be ready for assignment to a container.

The Open Sample Submissions worklist and Container Loader view can be accessed by clicking the appropriate processor button, located within the Samples tab.

Here is an overview of the Open Sample Submissions and Container Loader page:

The left hand side of the page is the Open Sample Submissions section, and will be populated by all samples that have been received by the core and marked off as "processing".

The right hand side of the page is the Container Loader View. This is where your container will be displayed and where samples will be inserted.


Set up Containers

The Open Sample Submissions worklist populates with samples that are not yet on a finalized plate. Each sample submission can be expanded by clicking on the black triangle to the far left.

  1. Open Sample Submissions : Samples available for you to assign to a container.
  2. Sample checkboxes : The checkboxes allow you to select which samples you'd like added to the plate.
  3. Plate : The selected container available for assigning samples.
  4. List : List of plates. Here you can select a different plate, add a new one, or view any finalized plates.
  5. Process bar : You have the option to insert your samples horizontally or vertically into your container. Select the appropriate orientation option and then click Process. This will automatically move all of your selected samples into your container in the orientation you desire.

The first step in assigning samples to a container will be to create a new container ‍.

Click on the List button in the upper right hand corner of the page.

A pop-out window will then appear. Click on the green New Plate button and a new container will be created with a system-generated name.

Click the black arrow box next to the new container name to make that the active container in the Container Loader window (the arrow will then change to light blue, indicating that plate is the active container), and then click the Close button to close the container list. You also have the opportunity to view any finalized plates from this pop-out window.

Editing the Container Name

If you have a name you'd prefer over the system generated one, you do have the ability to edit it. At the top of the plate view, hover over the system-generated name of the container until you see the image of a hand and a red edit pencil icon. Click on the name of the container to bring up the editing window below. Type in the new name of your container and click Save.

Note: Once a container has been finalized, requests on that container can no longer be edited by the customer. It will disappear from the list of open containers (open containers in the list are still available for sample insertion).

Also note that you cannot edit the numbers of columns and rows in an existing container.


Assign Samples to a Container

Once you have created a new container, you are now able to assign samples to that plate. The left hand side of the page is the Open Sample Submissions section, and will be populated by all samples that have been received by the core and marked as processing.

The right hand side of the page is the Container Loader View. This is where your container will be displayed and where samples will be inserted.

Assigning samples to a container can be accomplished in a few different ways: all samples from an entire request, all samples available in the open sample submissions list, or one by one.

1. Assign all samples from an entire request : Click the checkbox at the top right of the request header, then go to the bottom of the page to the process bar.

2. Assign all available samples : Click the Select All box at the top right of the open sample submissions list to select all available samples, then go to the bottom of the page to the process bar.

3. Assign an individual sample to a container : click the checkbox next to the sample you would like to insert. You can then either choose a). to insert that sample in the next available position by using the process bar, or b). you can simply click on any well in the container where you would like the sample to be placed.

If you right click on the well after selecting your samples, you will have the option of adding the samples horizontally or vertically.

Once you have assigned samples to a container, you will see the Well Number and Plate Name columns in the customer request update to reflect the location and plate of each sample.


Add Controls to the Plate

You also have the ability to insert specific sample types used by the core facility, such as controls, standards, blanks, etc. into a container. To insert one of these sample types, right-click on the well where you would like to place this sample, and choose “Insert Test Sample” from the pop-up menu. You will then see a list of the core sample types you previously defined when building your processor ‍.

Once a sample type has been selected, the well in the plate view will turn blue, indicating the presence of a core facility sample. If you hover over the well, you'll get a pop-up indicating what sample type was selected and who assigned it.


Remove Samples from a Container

After you have inserted your customer and/or core samples, you may wish to remove any or all of the samples from your container and reinsert them into different locations on the container. There are a few ways to do this:

1. Removing selected samples : In the Open Samples Submission section, mark the checkbox of the sample(s) you would like to remove from the container. Then, go to the bottom of the page to your Process bar, select Clear From Plate, and click Process. This will remove the samples from the container and put them back into the Samples list for reassignment to a different well or a different container.

2. Clearing the entire plate : Right-click on any empty well in the container, and choose Clear Plate from the pop-up menu. This will clear all samples currently inserted into that container and put them back in the Open Samples list.

3. Removing individual samples : If you would like to remove just one sample from the container, right-click on the well of the sample you would like to remove, and choose Delete Sample. This will remove the sample from the container and put it back into the Open Samples list. Please note that if the samples were submitted to your core as a plate, rather than individual samples, this action will permanently delete the sample.


Identify Container Attributes

There are several additional attributes of a container you can set while in the Container Loader view.

1. Assigned to : A drop-down menu of core staff members that can be assigned to process a container.

2. Run protocol : Your institution may have protocols they use to communicate from the processor to the institution's server. You may choose to designate that here.

3. Analysis protocol : Your institution may have protocols in place for the analysis of the data. If so, you may designate it here.

4. Planned Start/End date : - Allows the operator to set planned start and end dates for processing of the container.

5. Finalize : Once you have finished assigning samples to a container and set all appropriate attributes of that container, click the Finalize button to finish the creation of that new container.

6. Summary : - An overview of the history of the plate displays at the bottom; allows the operator to set actual start and end dates of the container processing; and a summary list of the samples assigned to that plate.


Finalize the Plate

Once you have finished assigning samples to a container and set all appropriate attributes of that container, you will then click the Finalize button to finish the creation of that new container. After the container has been marked finalized, it will disappear from the list of open containers (open containers in the list are still available for sample insertion). Please note: requests where the container has been marked off as finalized can no longer be edited by the customer.

A finalized plate can still be accessed in two places:

1. While in the container loader view, click the List button and then check the Show Finalized checkbox.

2. In the upper right hand corner of the Sample Assignment page, click on the link that describes your container type (i.e. 96-well plate). This will take you to the Plate List View.

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iLab — Assigning No Charges and Sample Reruns

Assigning No Charges and Sample Reruns

Role: Core Administrator

For each sample and service, you may decide to run it again, or to assign no charge for the sample or service.

Each Services column represents any service that has been associated with that container via a customer request. In the example below, there a "Sanger sequencing - tube charge" service associated with each sample.

  1. The name of the charge associated with each sample.
  2. Selecting “no charge” or “rerun” at this level will assign a corresponding status to ALL samples in the container that had this particular service performed.
  3. Selecting “no charge” or “rerun” at this level will assign a corresponding status to the individual sample that had this particular service performed.
  4. Selecting “no charge” or “rerun” at this level will assign a corresponding status to ALL of the services to all of the samples in the container.
  5. Selecting “no charge” or “rerun” at this level will assign a corresponding status to all of the services performed on that individual sample.

iLab — Managing the Plate

Managing the Plate

Role: Core Administrator

Once a customer has submitted their service request, their order will then populate your core’s View All Requests tab.


Plate List View

Within the Plate List View, you can: visualize all containers that have been created; view and update the status of the containers; open and interact further with existing containers; filter for specific containers using various search criteria.

To open an existing container, click on the magnifying glass icon next to the plate name. This will open up a pop-up window where you can view the sample details and preform actions at both the container and sample levels.

1. Print : select Print to download a printable copy of the container and its contents in a grid format

2. Download plate file : this will download the plate file that you configured in the File Template Builder section for upload into your instrument software

3. Container history : displays a history of attributes set on the container

4. Sample summary : a general summary of information about the container, including sample information, requester information, location of samples on a container, etc. In addition, you can a) decide whether you would like to rerun any samples and their corresponding services b) assign a status of “no charge” to any samples and their corresponding services

5. Assigning no charge and rerun status : you can mark individual samples or all samples on the plate as rerun, or you can designate them as no charge to the customer


Assigning No Charges and Sample Reruns

For each sample and service, you may decide to run it again, or to assign no charge for the sample or service.

Each Services column represents any service that has been associated with that container via a customer request. In the example below, there a "Sanger sequencing - tube charge" service associated with each sample.

  1. The name of the charge associated with each sample.
  2. Selecting “no charge” or “rerun” at this level will assign a corresponding status to ALL samples in the container that had this particular service performed.
  3. Selecting “no charge” or “rerun” at this level will assign a corresponding status to the individual sample that had this particular service performed.
  4. Selecting “no charge” or “rerun” at this level will assign a corresponding status to ALL of the services to all of the samples in the container.
  5. Selecting “no charge” or “rerun” at this level will assign a corresponding status to all of the services performed on that individual sample.

Updating the status of containers

There are several different states a container may have, depending on where the container is in the core workflow.

1) Finalize : select Finalize once all desired samples have been assigned to a container and all container attributes have been set.

2) Start processing : select Start Processing once a plate has been finalized and core staff have begun processing the plate. This is an optional selection.

3) Finish processing : once all services associated with a container have been completed, select Finish Processing. This is a mandatory step to move the status of the container to the next steps of Complete Only or Confirm Charges.

4) Confirm charges : select Confirm Charges if you wish to automatically mark off all requests on the container as ready for billing. Choosing Confirm Charges will update the Billing Status to Ready to Bill and the Work Status to Completed on the customer service request.

5) Complete only : select Complete Only if you wish to indicate that processing of the container is complete but prefer to manually update charges and services on the customer service request.

Note: if a customer request has samples on multiple containers, the Billing Status and Work status will not be updated until all containers have been marked Confirm Charges.


Searching and Applying Filters

You can filter containers on a variety of other attributes using the Filters panel. If the filter panel is not visible, click on the "Show filters" link in the upper-left. To use filters, use the black arrow to the left of each category to expand the filter you would like to search on. Then, select from the available entries.

You can search for specific containers using a variety of filtering and search options:

1) Keywords : the keyword field allows you to search for words not included in the other filters, such as plate name

2) Sample Owner : search by requester name

3) Sample Lab : search by PI or lab name

4) Created At : enter a date range to filter for all containers created in that time period

5) Status : filter by current status of containers

6) Completion : filter by plates that are either full or mostly fill vs. plates that have a low number of wells assigned

7) Assigned To : filter for containers assigned for processing by specific core staff members

With the appropriate criteria selected, click "Apply Filters" and your refined list will display. You can also reset all filters with the "Reset Filters" button.

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iLab Support

Studies

iLab — Studies Overview

Studies Overview

Role: Core Administrators

Studies is a tool that enables core facilities to manage large, long- running studies that take place in their facilities. It offers the ability to tie the day-to-day tasks, such as service requests, resource reservations, and billable work to one larger, overarching project. The Studies module allows researchers to collaborate with other researchers on studies, and provides cores with tools that deliver greater experimental consistency across service requests through the implementation of advanced templates and saved responses to forms.

Additionally, Study Management:

  • Allows cores and researchers to more effectively manage longer running studies
  • Allows researchers to collaborate with other researchers on studies
  • Provides cores with tools that deliver greater experimental consistency across service requests through the implementation of advanced templates and saved responses to forms
  • Allows protocols to be associated with studies
  • Allows cores to capture important information about the work to be conducted in a variety of formats, including:
    • Online fields and forms
    • File attachments
  • Manages a study review process




For more information about Studies, see:

Initiating a New Study

Reviewing and Approving a Study

Key Panel Features

Deleting a Study



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iLab — Creating a New Study Template

Creating a New Study Template

Role: Core Administrators

Study project templates can be created by the core to standardize study data. When a customer logs into your core to initiate a study, they may only choose from pre-defined core templates.

Creating new study project templates is done through the Studies tab.


Getting Started

From the Studies tab, click on the gear icon.

The Study Template List will display your current templates. Click on the green "New Study Template" button.

There are two sections that can be customized on a study: fields and forms.


Fields

Fields are displayed prominently at the top of any new study request and provide a simple set of options that can be used to capture high-level information about the study from your customer. You may create the fields you would like to include in your study by using the the custom fields section. First, decide what you would like to name the Fields section of your template. In this case, we have named the section "Custom Fields".

Next, build your fields. Begin by clicking on the blue "Add field" button on the bottom right of the Fields section.

A drop-down box will display the types of fields from which you may select.

Your options are listed below. For each option, you will first see how the field looks while being built, and then the way the field displays within the form.

  • String: A string is a free-text field without an editor.

  • Text: A text field is a free-text field with an editor.

  • Date: A date field will display a calendar when you click in the box. Customers then click on the appropriate date.

  • Toggle: A toggle field will display with a check box.

  • Menu: The menu field displays a drop-down box where you may select a single option. If you would like to add more than three choices, click on the "Add choice" link on the bottom right.

  • Multiple field: The multiple field displays multiple options when you click in the box. You may select multiple responses. If you would like to add more than three choices, click on the "Add choice" link on the bottom right.

  • Help: You may enter text here to assist your customers in completing the fields.

For each field, you must also indicate who should see this field:

If you would like to delete a field, click on the "Remove" button at the top right of each field.


Forms

You may decide to leverage some of the core's custom forms for your study. Forms also offer the ability to collect information that is not captured on the project study template.

To add a form to your template, click the "Add a custom form" button. A list of the core's available custom forms will display. Select the appropriate form.


The form is now attached to the project font and will display for the users you designate.

To remove the form, click the red "unlink" button.

Click "Save" when you have completed your form.


Advanced Study Template Settings

Once you have saved your new Study Template, you'll have additional editing options. To access these, click the 'edit' button to the right of the appropriate study in the Study Template edit list‍.

At the bottom of each study template, there are a series of advanced settings that can be used to customize your customers' experience when interacting with studies. The settings are organized into sections that correspond to the panels that are available on a study. Note that these settings cannot be accessed when you are first creating a study template. You must save the study at least once, and then they can be accessed at the bottom. The settings allow you to customize panels in in several ways (depending on the panel):

  1. The panel label
  2. A help section at the top of the panel
  3. Depending on the panel, panel visibility to the customer
  4. Additional custom settings per panel

We recommend reviewing these settings carefully with your iLab Implementation Associate or Project Manager as they will be able to help you choose which panels and features will be most helpful.

In the screenshot below, for example, you can see that the instructions for the summary panel will be displayed to the customer on study initiation.

Some sections may have settings that allow you to determine whether you would like to include a particular panel on a particular study template, and whether your customers should see that panel.


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iLab — Initiating a New Study

Initiating a New Study

Role: Core Administrators, Study Coordinators, Researchers

Customers may initiate a study of a specific core by selecting from a list of core study templates. Initiating a new study is done from the Studies tab. (NOTE: Your tab name may vary depending on your core's settings.) It is important to note that each study template is configurable in the Fields and Forms section. This article reviews one example and you should not expect to see the exact same fields. If you have any questions, please contact the core.


Including a Summary

The top-most section of the study form is the Summary.

NOTE: This section includes fields whose labels can be customized by the core. Please be advised that the labels for these fields may display differently for your core. Additionally, some cores may choose not to display some of these fields at all.

Summary fields you may encounter:

  1. Full Study Title: Enter the full title of your study.
  2. Unique Study Identifier: This value is set only by facility staff. It is not visible to the customer when initiating a new study.
  3. Lead Principle Investigator: The lead PI can schedule visits/request services against the study, and is typically financially responsible for the study. The Lead PI is considered one of the key contacts for the study on the research side.
  4. Purpose of Study: This is a free text field. Enter the focus of your study here. The label of the field can be customized by the facility on a per-template basis. (NOTE: This field is customizable on the core level so it may be called something else. You can edit it in the advanced template settings under the specific template.)
  5. Anticipated start date: Enter the date the study is planned to begin. (NOTE: the formal start and end dates of protocols can be tracked separately.)
  6. Fund number: Enter the payment information for your the study. This field is informational ONLY, and each piece of work can use a different fund if needed.
  7. Brief Study Title: If your study title is quite long, you may wish to create a short study title. You may do so here.
  8. Your anticipated budget: This is the amount the customer expects to have available for the project.
  9. Lead Coordinator: If there will be one primary person responsible for study logistics, enter that person’s name here. (This is an optional field.)
  10. Anticipated end date: Enter the date the study is planned to end.
  11. Financial sponsor : If there is a financial sponsor, end the sponsor's name here.

Including Study Fields

The Fields section is highly-customizable by the core and defines the methods of collecting information from your customers on studies. Fields are displayed prominently at the top of any new study request and provide a simple set of options that can be used to capture high-level information about the study from the customer. Each core selects a type of field they would like, and then are free to label the field any way they wish.

In the example below, there are three fields: Text (titled "Project name"), Date, and Multiple menu (where you may select any or all of three options). See Creating a New Study Project Template ‍ to see how these fields are added to project template.


Identifying the Research Team

The Research Team section allows you to define the people who will comprise your research team (and will therefore be contributors to the study).

To add new members, begin typing their name into the text box. Matching names will begin to display. Click on the name to add. You may then define their role by clicking on the arrow in the "Type" drop-down box and selecting an option. Lastly, you may add a note for each member, if you desire, by clicking in the "Note" text and typing. (NOTE: Only people added as a "coordinator" will be able to take action against the study. The authorized user, radiologist, billing contact, and other types will only have access to view the study.)

If you have contact information for someone that does not have an iLab account, you can add it to the outside contact section.

To add an outside contact, click the blue "+ outside contact" button and a new window will open.

These are all free text fields. Enter your information and click the green "Save" button.


Completing the Form

Each core may decide to leverage any custom forms they have already built for the core as well as the advanced field format options that are included there, such as file uploads, templates, and advanced conditional statements. If your core includes custom forms in their study templates, click on each form to open. Then complete all the fields and save.

Each core may decide to leverage any custom forms they have already built for the core as well as the advanced field format options that are included there, such as file uploads, templates, and advanced conditional statements. If your core includes custom forms in their study templates, click on each form to open. Then complete all the fields and save.


Including Subjects

The Subjects section helps capture important information about the age and other characteristics of subjects involved in the study. The option to "formally track subjects in ilab" will allow your user to indicate which subject is associated with each request of the study.


Identifying the Protocol

You may use the Protocol section to establish protocols for your study.

Use the attachment section to attach any pertinent files to your study. To add an attachment, click the green "New Attachment" button, and then click "Choose File" to browse your network for the appropriate file. To delete an attachment, click on the red x beside the file.


Providing Cost Analysis

If activated, the Cost Analysis section provides an overview of anticipated cost to the customer.

You may provide a summary of cost analysis, as well as cost per request and total anticipated cost.


Tracking the Study's Status and Dates

The key function of the Status and Dates section is to track the status of a project. It includes the current status and approval checklist with visual indicators to highlight progress, as well as important dates.

First select the current status of the study. Each core defines which statuses they would like to offer. (NOTE: the study status can also be managed using the action buttons on the Studies tab.)

Then, mark off each of the items in the checklist as they are completed.

If any of the items on the checklist have not been approved, a status icon on the studies list view will provide all users with a warning. Furthermore, several of the approval states tracked in this section can be used to filter for studies on the list view.


Including Data Links

This section allows core facility staff to formally track the digital location(s) where important data might be stored for a study.

More specifically, the facility is provided with two fields that can be filled out:

Core only study folder : This field is only visible to and editable by the facility staff. This allows the facility to distinguish where customer and non-customer facing results should be captured.

Customer facing study folder : One field, though not editable by the customer, is visible to the customer.

When you have finished all sections, you may save a draft version, cancel, or you may submit the study to the core.

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iLab — Reviewing and Approving a Study

Reviewing and Approving a Study

Role: Core Administrators

Study Review, Further Customization and Approval

Once a study has been submitted (by facility staff or customer), the core facility can review the information provided, move the study through a variety of states, and approve and customize the study such that it is tailored to help meet the needs of the particular study.

There are several steps to review and approve a study:


Study Review Steps

The Studies tab displays a searchable list of active studies. By default, studies are sorted in the order in which they are submitted. For quick reference, high level information is listed for each study in the list view, such as study name, lead PI and contacts, critical dates, and approval status. Basic information is provided for quick access on this summary view. Use the keyword search or the filters on the left side to find a specific study. Click a study name to open the study details for review.

Once you have found a study of interest, click on the study name to open the study and access the detailed view.


Study Navigation and Panels Overview

Each study is organized into sections that can be quickly accessed using the left-hand navigation menu. If you click on one of the section links in the left hand menu, the page will automatically scroll to the start of that section on the study. This is a good way to quickly navigate your way around a study. For more information about these sections, please see Key Panel Features .‍

Use the Quick Actions in the left menu to reload the study, update the study to the next state (Core staff only), or initiate a visit or request for the study. Click on a section in the left menu to jump to that section.

For Core staff only : Besides the navigation links, there is also a Quick Actions bar in the left-hand menu. Here, facility staff can reload the study, move the study through it’s naturally progression by clicking the green button. In the quick actions bar, the facility staff AND the customer can initiate a new visit against the study if a template has already been associated with the study - this can be handy since the left-hand menu floats on the screen no matter which section the customer is viewing.


Edit Study Sections - General

Depending on your privileges, you will see an edit icon in the upper right-hand corner of any section (often also referred to as a panel).

To edit this section of the study, click on the edit icon. This will turn the section into an edit mode where you can make adjustments.

Click the save button after editing a section to save the changes. Or click Cancel to close the editing view without saving any changes.

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iLab — Key Panel Features

Key Panel Features

Role: Core Customers

In the Studies module, the panel serves as an easy way to quickly navigate to specific parts of the study. The panel is on the left side of an open study.

To edit any section of the study, click on the pencil icon in the upper right hand corner. This will turn the section into an edit mode. When you have completed your updates, click the "save" button at the bottom of the section.

NOTE: The areas you can edit are dependent on your privileges. A core customer would not have access to change some of these fields.


Summary

  • Contains the highest level overview of the study, including the full title and a summary description.
    • This helps identify the purpose and content of the study.
  • All fields in this section are visible to both the customer and the core.
  • Several fields are editable only by the core.
    • The unique identifier - this can be renamed to a term more applicable (IRB, IACUC, etc.) and is only editable by the core.
  • Several fields are editable by both the customer and the core.
    • All dates labeled "anticipated" can be made editable by the customer.



Status and Dates

The key function of this panel is to track the status of a project. We’ve integrated a basic checklist that allows the core to indicate:

  • Whether a valid protocol has been provided for work that is to be conducted.
  • Whether the financials seem in order.
  • Whether or not the study is feasible.
  • If the study involves subjects, you can indicate if there's an authorized user that can make changes if required (ex. the subject is allergic to a drug typically administered in the study, so the authorized user can prescribe the use of a different drug).

Additional section features:

  • Visible to the Core and to the Customer.
  • Editable by the Core only.

If any of the items on the checklist have not been approved, a status icon on the studies list view will provide all users with a warning. Furthermore, several of the approval states tracked in this section can be used to filter for studies on the list view.


Research Team

The Research Team section allows you to designate any staff involved in the study.

  • The Other Members of the Research Team portion allows you to search and add any individual that has access to the study in iLab.
  • Outside Contacts enables you to list any additional team members that do not have an iLab account. This section will allow you to access their contact information easily within the study.

Please note: only staff added as a coordinator will be able to take any action against the study. The authorized user, radiologist, billing contact, and other options will simply allow the team member to view the details of the study.


Fields

Fields are displayed prominently at the top of any new study request and provide a simple set of options that can be used to capture high-level information about the study from your customer. You may add a number of different field types to your study in order to capture the appropriate information.


Forms

Forms are a powerful way to capture information that is required by the customer. At any point in time, the core can add additional forms and designate them as for core use only or for core and customer user.

Features of the Form section include:

  • Tool to capture complex data - including grids, conditional statements and forms for file uploads.
  • Custom forms respect customer visibility settings.
  • Editable by the core and the customer on the study view if visible to both core and customer.
  • Can be locked to prevent the user from editing a custom form and will stop facility staff from inadvertently changing data as well.
  • Can be study-level forms, or can be ‘included in visit’, which means responses can be templated to reduce duplicate data entry and to increase consistency across tests.
  • Values entered can be seen on the study summary when scheduling events or initiating a new service (visit) request.

If the 'include in request?' box is checked, the completed form will default to open and display as an additional form on any request initiated off of the study.

If this box is not selected, the completed form will still be accessible in the 'custom forms' section at the top of the request when 'study information' is selected.


Subjects

The subjects panel provides several key features to the core facility as well as the customer.

This panel helps capture important information about the age and other characteristics of subjects involved in the study.

Features of the Subject section include:

  • Visible to core and customer
  • Editable by core and customer
  • Helps capture important information about the age of subjects involved in the study. Also allows for the flexible capture of additional information in a text area.
  • The option of subject tracking allows the ability to capture specific subject data per request.


If subject tracking is activated, each new request requires the customer to formally enter information that is required for the subject. This allows more robust tracking of subject participation in a study, including a count of the number of visits as well as quick access and links to those visits.

Click on a visit to see additional information about visits that the subject has participated in.

After clicking the ‘visit’ link next to an individual, we can see when and where they participated in the study. Links are provided to visits in which they participated.

With Subject Tracking turned on, you will see a section to capture Subject Information when submitting a new service request (visit). You will need to either link the visit to an existing subject involved in your study, or create a new entry for a new subject.

Here is the interface for searching for and selecting an existing subject. The system will only search for subjects who have participated in previous studies that the user has been involved with.


The interface above can be used when the option to formally track subjects is turned on. On a new service request, you first search to see if you can find the individual (this only pulls people who have participated in that particular study you have run in the past) who will be participating.

To add a new subject who has not previously participated in one of your studies, click on the “create new” link. You will then see the following interface where you can enter a name, date of birth and/or a unique identifier. Please note: only 2 of these fields should be populated to stay in compliance.

The unique subject identifier can be included in invoices. The Subject name is strategically positioned in hover-over on events and on service requests.


Notes

The notes section give the core a chance to flexibly store other important information about the study.

Core staff can add Notes to a study to capture important details. Notes are visible within the study summary when scheduling events or initiating a new service (visit) request.

Features of the Notes section include:

  • Visible to core and/or customer.
  • Editable by core only.
  • Each note has a title and a text area to capture the note. This field is great for unstructured information that will be important when submitting a service request (visit)
  • Values entered can be seen on the study summary when scheduling events or initiating a new service (visit) request.
  • You can add more notes to a study at any point in time and set the sort order you would like.

Cost Analysis

Cost Analysis provides an overview of the study's anticipated cost. In this section you can indicate the cost per request (visit), as well as the overall cost per the study.


Attachments

Attachments is a great place for uploading reference documents for a study that do not fall into any of the other areas (such as IRB protocols, spreadsheets that were used to calculate the cost of the study, etc). They are visible in the study overview and can be accessed in very little time.

To add an attachment, click the edit pencil icon and then choose a file you’d like to upload. You can upload several at a time.

Attachments are a great way to load data that is relevant to the study but better kept in a traditional file format (such as a large PDF or excel file). To add an attachment, click the pencil icon to move into edit mode, type a note in the note field,  then click choose file and select the file you would like to upload. Then click save.

The attachments section is also included in the study overview when you’re scheduling a service request (visit). This means that it can also be used to upload general procedure protocols that you would like to be able to reference during any visits on the study.


Protocols

You may use the Protocol section to establish protocols for your study.

To add a new Protocol, click the '+protocol' button and populate the appropriate information.


Templates

Templates are where a core manager can associate a service request template with a study. The value of this is that the core can customize what milestones and forms a customer should fill out when they request services against a study. Core staff can associate multiple templates with one study, allowing studies that have multiple types of requests to have a tailored set of questions for each type of request.

Features of the Templates section include:

  • Visible to customer and core.
  • Editable only by the core.
  • Allows a robust, customizable experience for customers who will be initiating service requests (visits) off of a study.

To add a service request template to a study, click on the pencil icon to turn the section into edit mode and then start typing the name of the request template that you would like to associated with your study. When you see the appropriate one, click on the row to associate that service template with your study and click 'Save.'

Service project templates are normally visible on both the services tab and now also on a study. If you wish to make some service project templates ONLY appear on studies, you can accomplish this by selecting the checkbox labeled  Accessible only through the studies interface. This helps prevent users from associating an incorrect study, or forgetting to associate the study altogether.


Scheduled resources

In this section, core managers can associate schedulable resources to the study. Making this association has the benefit of the system automatically selecting any schedulable resources associated with the study when using the add event interface on a service request (visit).

Features of the Scheduled resources section include:

  • Visible to customer and to core.
  • Editable only by the core.
  • Helps reduce the time to schedule required resources for a study by pre-populating the add event interface with the relevant schedulable resources.

To add schedulable resources to a study, click on the edit icon in the Scheduled Resources panel. Next, search for resources that you would like to use during each visit on the study in question. Make sure you click save when you’ve completed.

To add additional resources, use the '+resource' button to add another line.

Any resources listed in this section will automatically be included in the add event interface.


Statistics

Each study has a dashboard of statistics which provides a quick and high-level overview of the activity on the study. In this section you can see the latest information on cost and events, as well as a progress bars.

Features of the Statistics section include:

  • Visible to the Core and to the Customer.
  • Contains high-level graphs and totals of important activity against the study.

Data Links

This section allows core facility staff to formally track the digital location(s) where important data might be stored for a study.

More specifically, the facility is provided with two fields that can be filled out. One field, though not editable by the customer, is visible to the customer. The other field is only visible to and editable by the facility staff. This allows the facility to distinguish where customer and non-customer facing results should be captured.


Comments

The comments section facilitates communication between the core and study contacts regarding the study and keeps the discussion tracked in one place for easy reference. Comments can also be received by email for quick alert.

When a comment is left on a study, all individuals associated with the study who have email settings turned on will receive a message in their email. Otherwise, they will see the comment the next time they login and scroll to the comments section on the study.


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iLab — Initiating Work Off of a Study

Initiating Work Off of a Study

Role: Core Administrators and Customers

You can see a list of all your core's proposed, current, and past studies on the Studies tab.

Once you've associated service request templates with the study and clicked the 'start' button, you can begin to initiate work off of that study (see the Reviewing and Approving a Study ‍ section for more information). To schedule against a particular service project template, you can use the quick actions bar in the left hand menu, the blue initiate button on the template rows, or use the initiate button on the study list view.

As previously mentioned, you can initiate a service request off of a study in a few places: 1) Click the ‘initiate’ button located in the Quick Actions of the study details.

2) Click on the ‘initiate’ button next to the service project template row in the Templates section of the study details.

3) When you hover over the right hand side of the study in the studies list view, an ‘initiate’ button will display and allow you to select the appropriate service request.

Please note: the "initiate" button will only display once service request template(s) have been added to the study. For instructions on how associate service request templates, please reference the Templates section in Key Panel Features .‍


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iLab — Deleting a Study

Deleting a Study

Role: Core Administrators

If you need to delete a study, click the pencil edit icon in the Status and Dates section.

Scroll to the bottom of the section and click on Delete this study.




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iLab — Managing the Reservations Tab

Managing the Reservations Tab

Role: Core Administrator

The Reservations tab is the best place for core customers and facility managers to view the activity in the facility across all resources. It may not always be available to customers, depending on core settings. The Reservations tab can be viewed from your core's homepage .


Layout of Reservations Tab

The Reservation tab consists of several panels:

  1. Time frame selection options
  2. Print reservations or schedules
  3. Various view options (legend, refresh and full screen view)
  4. Resource selector panel

Select Time Frame

The time frame panel allows you to select the specific window for which you can see reservations:

  1. Back in time: Step back in time by the number of days selected under item 3.
  2. Today: Go to today's date
  3. Time frame: Select to view one day, three days or week at a time
  4. Current range : Shows the currently active date range
  5. Forward in time : Step forward in time by the number of days selected under item 3 (Note: if this arrow is not visible, going into and out of full screen mode may make it visible again).

Print Reservations or Schedules

You may print all reservations or a full schedule for a given day:

  1. You may print reservations for the day across resources by using the "print reservations" link. First, you must select the "one day" view and navigate to the day you wish the print. Then click on "print reservations". The  printer window will display. Select your printer and click "OK". Your selected day will print the details of each reservation for the selected day.
  2. The "Print Schedules" link allows you to print the entire day's schedule for a single resource. First, you must select the "one day" view and navigate to the day you wish to print. Then click on "Print Schedule". The schedule prints with both a calendar view of the reservations, and a chart print of the reservations.

Set View Options

There are various options available related to the Reservations view:

  1. Legend: If you click on the question mark icon, a key will display that details what each color on the calendar means.
  2. Refresh : The circular arrow icon will refresh the reservation view and any recent changes
  3. Full screen : Click on the diagonal arrow icon to switch the screen to full screen view. In full screen view, click this icon again to return to the windowed view.

Select Resources

On the right side of the calendar, you will see the Select Resources panel. This panel provides several different ways to search for and select resources to display.

  1. Search: If you would like to search for a specific resource, enter the name of the resource here. As you type, your results will automatically filter below (in panel 4)
  2. Select: In the Select section, you may select any one of the pre-defined filter parameters to view.
    • "My subscriptions" displays calendars of resources to which you have subscribed.
    • "My favorites" displays calendars of resources you have designated as a favorite.
    • "Schedules with events" will display only calendars that have future reservations.
    • "All" displays all resource calendars.
    • "Clear" clears all previous calendar selections.
  3. List Style: You may select to display resources either alphabetically or by category.
  4. Select by category: You may select to display resources by their category/classification (designated in their Settings ‍ ). All categories/classifications will display in this section. Click the tick box beside the category to see all resources associated with that category. Click it again to de-select.
  5. Hide/Show : Click this arrow to hide or show the resource selection panel.
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iLab — Overview of People Interface

Overview of People Interface

Role: All users

The People interface allows users to find other users in iLab and access various management functions (depending on their role). There are two related but slightly different versions of the People interface:

  • People Search (all users): accessed from the people search‍ link in the left-hand navigation , this version is available to all users. However, the scope of users that can be found (and certain available management functions) depends on role:
    • PIs, Group Manager and Lab Members : Find other members in your lab.
    • Core Administrators : Find core customers and lab members. Access Request tools are available.
    • Institutional Administrators : Find users across you entire organization.
  • People Tab (Core Administrator): Accessed from the People Tab of your core. This version is functionally identical to the People Search described above, but only shows core customers and provides a tool to Manage Training Status ‍.

The People Interface has a number of panels and action buttons. Note that you may need to click the "<< Bulk Actions" button to see all available actions. For the various actions at the top of the interface, individual users need to be selected using the check boxes on the far right hand side of the screen. All listed users can be selected at once by clicking on the top-right check-box.

  1. Filters: Click on Hide Filters / Show Filters at the top of this panel to hide/show the filter interface. Core customers can be filtered based on all of the listed criteria by clicking on the desired criterion to show the list of available options, clicking the appropriate check boxes, and then choosing "Apply Filters" at the bottom of the filters panel. Note that only criteria options that apply to the current set of people are available.
  2. Manage Equipment Training (Core administrator) : Set the training levels of the customers at your core. For more information see Managing Training Status ‍.
  3. Email People : Send an e-mail to all selected users. Complete the Subject and Message, and then click "Send".
  4. Export to CSV: Create a CSV file with the key contact information (name, title, lab(s), institution and phone number) of the selected users. The file will be formatted similar to the example below:
  5. Access to new customer (Core administrator): Grant core access for cores that have Access Requests enabled. For more information, see Managing Access Requests ‍.
  6. Advanced messaging : The Advanced Messaging tool enables Core Administrators to send a message to a selection of customer based on various selection criteria. Selecting "equipment customers" will bring you to the Message Customers (Reservations) interface of the selected core, while selecting "services customers" will bring you Message Customers (Requests) ‍ interface.
  7. People Detail : The main panel lists all core customers that fit the filter criteria. The People Detail‍ panel provides key information on the listed people and provides a number of functions:
    • Recent activity (bar graph icon): Provides a quick summary of recent activity of this user at your core:
    • Equipment training (microscope icon): Core administrators only. Manage the Training Status ‍ for this person.
    • Send e-mail (letter icon): Use this option to send an e-mail the the person, as well as optionally their financial administrators (lab managers who are marked as financial contacts). Select the recipients, complete the Subject and the Message, and click "Send":
    • Access requests (key icon): Core administrators only. Manage the Access Request status of the user.
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iLab — Managing Access Requests

Managing Access Requests

Role: Core Administrator

Cores can be configured to only allow access to potential customers after they have been explicitly granted access to your core. The typical workflow consists of the user visiting your core and then submitting an Access Request, which you then approve or decline. However, you can also proactively grant access to one or multiple users before they visit your core.


Customer Experience of Access Requests

When a customer visits a core with Access Requests enabled, they will be presented with the following screen:

The customer can include a note to the core administrators and then clicks the "Send access request" button to submit the request. Until the Core Administrator has approved the request, the user will see the following notice when visiting the core.


Approve/Reject Access Requests

As a Core Administrator, you will be notified by e-mail if your core receives any new Access Requests. You can also easily see if there are any pending requests from your home page :

Clicking on an access request will bring you to the Access Requests interface on the core's Administration tab. Note that you can also go to this interface directly at any time to view and manage all open access requests.

This interface lists the information of the requester in the upper-left under Name and Contact Information , while the Approve and Update Access Requests panel in the upper-right allows you to set the user's ability to access the equipment tab and access the service request tab, as well as the user's training status (for more information on the latter, see Managing Training Status ‍).

You can add some notes the Access request note field, which will only be visible to core staff, and you can optionally enter text that will be e-mailed to the user under the Send e-mail panel (only if the check box is checked).

Then click either the "Approve (email optional)" button, "Update (no email)" or "Reject (no email)" button to finalize the Access Request and update the user's status.


Proactively Grant Access to Users

Proactively setting the access request status for multiple users is typically done from the People Tab of your core (though it can also be accessed from the People Search ‍ interface access from the left-hand navigation). To do so, first select the users you want to update by clicking the check-boxes on the right-hand side of the screen (you can click the check box in the top-right to select all listed users). Then click the "+ access to a new customer" button at the top of the interface.

This brings up an interface that lets you select the core that access will be granted to as well as the users you had previously selected. You can use the "Search for a user" bar at the top to search for and add additional users.

Once you have all users added and the correct core selected, click on "Grant Access". This expands the screen to show the Access Requests below.


The first panel allows you to set the user's ability to access the equipment tab and access the service request tab, as well as the user's training status (for more information on the latter, see Managing Training Status ‍). Note that if a user already had a pending access request, it will need to be accepted/rejected as discussed in the Approve/Reject Requests section above.

You can add some notes the Access request note field, which will only be visible to core staff, and you can optionally enter text that will be e-mailed to the user under the Send e-mail panel (only if the check box is checked).

Then click either the "Approve (email optional)" button, "Update (no email)" or "Reject (no email)" button to finalize the Access Request and update the user's status.

You can also grant access to an individual user by clicking the key icon to their right on a People page. This will bring up an interface very similar to the one described above, and will allow you to grant access to this user.


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iLab — Managing Permissions

Managing Permissions

Role: Core Administrator

Many cores allow specific equipment to be scheduled only if a user has specific permissions, which means that Core Administrators need to keep their permission status in iLab up to date. Managing permissions is typically done from the People Tab of your core or through each individual piece of equipment.

You can set the permissions group for a number of selected users all at once. To do so, first select the users you want to update by clicking the check-boxes on the right-hand side of the screen (you can click the check box in the top-right to select all listed users). Then, click the "Manage Equipment Permissions" button at the top of the interface.

Alternatively, you can click on the microscope icon for an individual user to just update that specific customer.

In each case, another interface opens up that shows the current permission group assigned to each user.

To change permissions, you will need to select the permission group you would like to assign from the drop-down.

  1. Use the dropdown to select the permission you would like to update.
  2. Check the box to select that permission for the user/group OR use the green checkmark to add that permission for all users in the column or for all instruments for a user in the row. Conversely, to de-select all resources, click the red X beside the user name.
  3. Click on Save

Permissions have now been updated across users and instruments.

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iLab — Reporting

Reporting

Roles: Principal Investigator, Core Administrator, Institutional Administrator

Most users with an administrative role in iLab system will be able to utilize the reporting functionality. Reporting allows users to generate reports on much data underlying the iLab workflow, but in all cases their access to this data is restricted to the data they have control over (e.g. a core manager can report on all data for their core, while a PI can report on all data relevant to their lab/group).


Access the Reporting Interface

The reporting interface can be accessed for all administrative users from the left-hand navigation :

This will open the Reporting Home page, where you can select the various types of reporting available to you, based on your role. Note that the reporting interface is identical for all roles, the only difference is in the data that will be included in the generated reports. From Reporting Home you can access general reporting, as well as any reports you have saved (discussed below).

As a Core Administrator , you can access core reporting directly from your Core ‍ :

As a System Administrator , you can also access institutional reporting directly from your Institutional Dashboard :


Overview of Reporting

The reporting interface consists of a number of panels. Note that certain panels are not available for all report types (e.g. Custom Forms only has a Report Setting panel).

  1. Report type : iLab provides reporting on a range of different data sets, including charges, requests, events, custom forms and time entries and requisitioning, if applicable.
  2. Open report : Load the default report or a saved report, create a new report or return to the Reporting Home interface.
  3. Report settings : Configure reporting time frames and the exhibits that show in the report.
  4. Filter data : Filter the data included in the report.
  5. View exhibits : View and manage the exhibits included in the report.
  6. Report actions : Save reports, share access, e-mail the report, export report data and print the report.

Report Types

iLab provides a range of report types:

  • Charges : report on the individual financial charges generated by core facilities, e.g. quantify, price, type, timing, etc.
  • Requests : report on data related to service requests, e.g. projected/actual cost, average completion time, etc.
  • Events : report on data related to scheduled events, e.g. scheduled/actual time, scheduled/actual cost, etc.


  • Custom Forms : download data captured in Custom Forms ‍.
  • Time Entries : report on Time Entry ‍ data
  • Requisitioning : report on data related to requisitioning

The first three report types, Charges , Request and Events , are the core of iLab reporting, and function very similarly. The key difference is the type of data that can be reported on and exported, as discussed in more detail in Reporting Field Details ‍ .

The C ustom Forms report is only available for core-level reporting and provides a mechanism to download the fields of custom forms used by that core:

Select a date range under section 1, pick a form used by this core under section 2, and click the "Download custom form source data as CSV" button to download the form fields as completed by the users of the core.  Note that currently, only the following data field types are supported for download:  small text box, large text box, date, pull-down menu, attachment (name of file only), radio buttons, check boxes, charges, tables.

The Time Entries report is another core-level report that provides reporting on Time Entry ‍ data (if enabled for the core):

  1. Keywords : find specific time-entry charges based a keyword that may appear in any of the fields associated with that charge.
  2. Filters : Select one or more filter criteria to narrow down the time-entry charges included in the report. Expand a criteria by clicking on the little arrow, and then use the check boxes to determine which specific entries to include.
  3. Apply Filters : Apply the filters selected above to the report.
  4. Reset Filters : Remove all applied filters.
  5. Download as CSV : Create a file that includes all the (filtered) time-entry charges.
  6. View charges : show all the time-entry charges based on the applied filters.

Open a Report

To access or start a report, you have four options:

  • Load default : Populate a report with default settings and exhibits.
  • Load saved : Select a previously saved report (see Report Actions ) and click "Load". Note, you can adjust the dates of a saved report to load new data points into your preferred format.
  • Build new : Clears the current report and start building a new report, using the default report as a starting point.
  • Reporting home : Go to the Reporting Home page, shown under the Access Reporting Interface .

Report Settings

Most reports require the user to specify the following settings:

  1. Select a date range : Pick a start and end date you want to use for the report. Alternatively, click on the "select a date range preset" link to open up a number of pre-configured date ranges:
  2. Select date field : For Charge and Requests reports, this field lets you select the date to used for each item in the report. For a Charge report, you can choose to show the charges by purchase date (when the charge was created), completion date (when the work the charge is associated with was marked as completed) and billing date (when the billing event the charge is included in was created). For Requests report, you can choose the Submission date (when the request was submitted) and the Completion date (when the request was marked as complete).
  3. Customize Display : This option allows you to fully customize the exhibits you want to include in the report, as discussed in more detail under Configure Exhibits .
  4. Apply settings : Click the "Run report!" button to apply the previous settings and generate/update the report. This will show any applicable panels that were not yet visible.

Configure Exhibits

Each exhibit in the report can be fully configured, and exhibits can be easily added and deleted. Note that to change an existing exhibit, you need to first click on the pencil icon in column 9:

  1. Move exhibit : The green arrows can be dragged up and down to change the order of the exhibits in the report.
  2. Chart type : You can choose from a number of typical chart types: stacked bar, line, stacked line, pie, data table.
  3. Group by : The first grouping applied to the data in the exhibit. For example, select lab to first group charges or requests by the requesting lab.
  4. Value to report on : Choose the value to show in the report. The options available here are based on the report type, as discussed in more detail in Report Types .
  5. Display data by : Choose the time frame you would like to use to consolidate data into (e.g. week, month, quarter, day of week, hour).
  6. Also group by : Apply a second grouping to the data (incremental to item 3). This will create a sub-panel for the second grouping, up to a maximum of 10.
  7. No-charge as $0 : When set to "yes", non-billable and pro-bono charges will be included at $0. Also, no-charge events will be considered to have a price of $0 when calculating scheduled cost. When set to "no", reported totals will include the full value of costs and services provided, even if the customer was not billed for them.
  8. Convert pie to bar if any values are negative : Only applies to bar charts. When checked, any pie chart with negative value will be converted to a bar chat (so negative values can be shown). When not checked, any negative slices will be excluded.
  9. Edit exhibit : Click the pencil icon to make edits to the selected exhibit (drop-down options appear in each column that allow the user to change the settings).
  10. Delete : Delete the selected exhibit (note: you will NOT be prompted for confirmation)
  11. Add a new chart or table : Adds a new exhibit at the bottom the the exhibit list (can be moved as discussed under item 1)
  12. Apply : Once you have made any changes to the exhibit you MUST click the Apply button to effect any changes.
  13. Close and cancel all changes : click this link to close the panel and cancel any changes.

Filter Report Data

The data in most reports can be filtered down to very specific criteria. As an example, the filters for a Charges report are shown below:

Select one or more filter criteria to narrow down the data included in the report. Expand a criteria by clicking on the little arrow, and then use the check boxes to determine which specific entries to include. For more information on the fields available for each report type, see Reporting Field Details ‍ .

Once done configuring the filter, click "Apply Filters". To remove all filters, click "Reset Filters".


View Report Exhibits

The main Exhibit panel shows all the exhibits in the report. An exhibit might look like:

Hover over each exhibit to show a small panel in the upper-left corner with the option to edit the exhibit (this brings up the panel discussed under Configure Exhibits ) or to delete it (red X icon). You can also move the mouse over the exhibit to get more detailed information about specific data points.


Report Actions

You have a range of options to further manage the current report and its underlying data:

  • Save : Save this report within iLab, so it can be easily recalled later and be shared with other iLab users. When prompted, provide a name, click "Save", and the report will be saved under the appropriate category. You can also select an existing report to overwrite. To load this same report in the future, you would click on 'Load Saved'.
  • Share : Once a report has been saved, it can be shared with other who also have access to the underlying data. For example, for a core-level report, you might share the report with the other core managers, or with the core's institutional administrators:
  • Email : The e-mail option let's you send a copy of the report by e-mail. You can select the recipients and Subject, and also indicate what information to include as an attachment (a PDF version of the report, the underlying source data and/or the data from the individual exhibits as XLS or CSV files). You can customize the message and indicate if you would like a copy sent to yourself.
  • Export : The export option let you download report data in various formats. You can download the charts and tables as a PDF file or you can download the data shown in the various exhibits as either XLS or CSV files. You can also download all of the source data (not just what is shown in the exhibits) in the report date range to a CSV file. This option is typically the most useful for those who are comfortable analyzing full data sets in other applications (e.g. Excel). See Reporting Field Details ‍  for more information about which fields are included in which report.
  • Print preview : This option opens up the report in a view that only shows the exhibits, for easy printing directly from your browser.

iLab — Reporting Field Details

Reporting Field Details

Roles: Principal Investigator, Core Administrator, Institutional Administrator

This article provides additional information on the fields that are available from the Reporting ‍ interface, specifically all the fields that are included in the "Source Data as CSV/XLS" option under "Export".  A selection of these fields are also available as report filters.


Charge Reporting Fields

Field
Description
Service ID
If the charge is part of a service requests, this field will contain the the service request ID (as visible within iLab), otherwise blank
Customer Name
The name of the customer associated with this charge
Customer Title
The title of the customer (if available)
Customer Lab
The lab to which this charge is or will be billed
Customer Department
The department the customer belongs to (if departments are configured for the customer's institution)
Customer Institute
The institution the customer belongs to
Charge Name
The name of the charge. This is typically the name of the service as defined under Editing Services . For generic charges, this field contains "(charge)", followed by the name of the charge as entered.
Notes
Any notes associated with the charge
Payment Information
The payment information used for billing the charge (if already provided)
Custom Field
For customers with integrations, iLab has the ability to set up to 3 custom fields. If applicable, this information will feed into this field. Note: This field is not retroactive and will only populate once custom field information has been entered and forward.
Status
The "work" status of the individual charge:
  • proposed : The charge has been proposed to the customer, but has not yet been accepted by the customer.
  • financials_approved : The charge has received financial approver (typically from the PI or lab/group manager, but potentially from a Departmental administrator or Institutional Administrator).
  • processing : The work associated with the charge is in progress.
  • completed : The work associated with the charge has been completed.
  • canceled: The charge has been canceled.
Billing Status
The billing status of the charge:
  • canceled : The charge is canceled and will not be billed.
  • not_ready_to_bill : The charge is not (yet) ready to be billed.
  • ready_to_bill : The charge is ready for billing
  • billing_initialized : The charge has been billed
  • not_billable : The charge has been marked as not billable
  • pro_bono: The charge has been marked as pro bono (i.e. no charge to the customer)
Quantity
The quantity component of the charge (i.e. number of "units")
Price
The price per unit of this charge
Total Price
The total price of the charge (i.e. price x quantity)
Price Type
The price type applied to this charge (e.g. internal, external, corporate, etc.)
Creation Date
The date the charge was created in iLab
Purchase Date
The date the charge was entered in iLab. Typically equal to the creation date, unless the core back-dated the charge (if allowed)
Completion Date
The date the work associated with the charge was marked as complete
Billing Date
The date of the billing event in which the charge was included
Created By
iLab user that created the charge.
Core Name
The name of the core that created the charge.
Invoice Num
The number of the invoice associated with the charge (if the charge was billed)
No Charge Justification
The provided justification for not charging for this item
Ad-hoc Charge Justification
The provided justification for an ad-hoc (flexible) charge
Organization Name
The name of the organization the lab has been added to (not configured for most institutions)
Company Organization Name
The name of the organization the core is a part of (not configured for most institutions)
Charge ID
The unique identifier of this charge
Reviewed
If Peer Review Status is enabled, this column will populate with Peer-reviewed or Non peer-reviewed. If not enabled, No Status Yet will appear
Center
The center the users' lab belongs to.
Category
The category of the charge, as defined in the service associated with the charge
Usage Type
The usage type of the schedule associated with the charge ‍
UNSPSC Code
For Storeroom cores, this is the code entered when a product is entered in the system. If not provided, this number will be 12000000.
UNSPSC Name
For Storeroom cores, this is the name entered when a product is entered in the system
Facility Catalog Number
For Storeroom cores, this number is specific to the storeroom itself.
Central Catalog Number
For Storeroom cores, this number comes from the procurement group but is typically the same as the Facility Catalog Number.

Service Request Reporting Fields

Field
Description
Service ID
The identifier of this service request
Customer Name
The name of the customer associated with this charge
Customer Lab
The lab to which this charge is or will be billed
Customer Title
The title of the customer (if available)
Customer Department
The department the customer belongs to (if departments are configured for the customer's institution)
Customer Institute
The institution the customer belongs to
Custom Field
For customers with integrations, iLab has the ability to set up to 3 custom fields. If applicable, this information will feed into this field. Note: This field is not retroactive and will only populate once custom field information has been entered and forward.
Actual Cost
The actual cost of the service request (based on all included services and charges)
Projected Cost
The originally projected costs for the service request
Current Milestone
The most recently completed milestone for this service request
Status
The status of the request, as discussed in Request Status
Number of Line Items
The number of line items included in the service request (equal to the number of charges if split billing is not used)
Creation Date
The date the service request was created
Submission Date
The date the service request was submitted. Typically equal to the creation date, unless the core back-dated the charge (if allowed)
Completion Date
The date the service request was marked as complete.
Created By
The iLab user that created the service request.
Core Name
The name of the core that created the charge.
Organization Name
The name of the organization the lab has been added to (not configured for most institutions)
Reviewed
If Peer Review Status is enabled, this column will populate with Peer-reviewed or Non peer-reviewed. If not enabled, No Status Yet will appear
Center
The center this core belongs to.

Event Reporting Fields

Field
Description
User Login Email
The e-mail address the user used to login to iLab
PI email
The e-mail address of the user's PI
Equipment Name
The name of the equipment that was used
Customer Name
The name of the customer associated with this charge
Customer Lab
The lab to which this charge is or will be billed
Customer Title
The title of the customer (if available)
Customer Department
The department the customer belongs to (if departments are configured for the customer's institution)
Customer Institute
The institution the customer belongs to
User Permission
This is the permission group the user belongs to for this instrument. Permissions are defined at the core level but assigned at the calendar level
Price Type
The price type applied to this charge (e.g. internal, external, corporate, etc.)
Event Type
This will say reservation, unavailable (for maintenance scheduling) or cancelled (for cancelled events).
Scheduled Start
The originally scheduled start time of the event
Scheduled End
The originally scheduled end time of the event
Scheduled Hours
The originally scheduled total number of hours
Actual Start
The actual start time of the event
Actual End
The actual end time of the event
Actual Hours
The actual total number of hours
Creation Date
The date the event was created
Core Name
The name of the core where the event was created
Organization Name
The name of the organization the lab has been added to (not configured for most institutions)
Reviewed
If Peer Review Status is enabled, this column will populate with Peer-reviewed or Non peer-reviewed. If not enabled, No Status Yet will appear
Center
The center this core belongs to.
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iLab Support

Billing

iLab — Overview of Billing

Overview of Billing

Role: Core Administrator

As a core administrator, you will be able to bill your customer for all charges in iLab. All billing occurs from the Billing Tab and is only available to core administrators.  You can review charges, create a new billing event, and manage invoices. The Billing tab is accessed from your core's homepage .  The iLab billing module is flexible, meaning that you can bill as frequently as you would like and you can include or exclude any charges. Depending on the integration at your institution, iLab's billing feature can ensure customers are including payment information and using valid, up to date funds.  Billing workflow depends largely on the institution and may differ slightly from this help site.


Billing Vocabulary

There are a number of terms used surrounding billing in iLab. Here is a short glossary of helpful terms.

  • Billing Event : A billing event is a collection of charges pulled into a single file and ready to be processed by the institution's finance department.
  • Draft Billing Event: A draft billing event is a billing event that has been created but only saved in a draft state. This is typically used for larger cores who create multiple billing events in a draft state, then merge them into one billing event when needed.
  • Pending Review Billing Event: In some cases, Institution Administration prefers to manage billing, create billing files and generate invoices at the administrative level. When this is the case, the core administrator can mark a New or Draft Billing Event as Ready for Review, which indicates to Institution Administration that the cores charges are ready for them to review and bill.
  • Billing Initialized Billing Event: Once administration has committed charges to a billing file and generated invoices, those charges are part of a Billing Initialized billing event. This means billing errors will be flagged, and changes, disputes and removing charges from the billing event can occur. Administration will still need to send the billing file or invoice.
  • Fund Number: General term used to reference payment information for an institution. Many institutions have different names for the payment source used by internal and external customers.

Layout of Billing Tab

The Billing tab is broken into three main sections allowing core administrators to view confirmed charges and create new billing events, view past billing events and manage invoices, or filter past billing events. When first navigating to the Billing Tab, a list of all past billing events will display.

  1. Filters: The filters can be used to narrow down the list of billing events on the page. The 'Keywords' search allows you to search for a specific key word within the Billing list. Type in your keyword and press "Go". Filters allow the user to define search parameters and only display results that fall within those parameters. Searchable fields are pulled from the Billing table to the right. To search, expand each field by clicking the blue down arrow and select a field entry by clicking on the check box. (Note: You may search on more than one field entry.) Then click "Apply Filters" to display your filtered list. To clear filters, click on "Reset Filters". Hide the filter panel by clicking "Hide Filters".
  2. Billing Events List: All billing events are maintained in a list on this page. The most recent events are at the top of the page.
  3. Navigation Buttons :
    • Merge Drafts : This option is used for larger cores who create multiple draft or pending review events, then merge these billing events into one. Only billing events from the same core with the same charge grouping on invoices can be merged.
    • View Charges : This allows you to view all confirmed and completed charges available to pull into a billing event.
    • New Billing Event : This button allows you to create a new billing event.
    • View Detached Invoices :  (Institution dependent) If you have detached invoices (i.e. services that were removed from a billing event and still need to be billed, you may view them by clicking this button.
  4. Actions: There are 3 possible action links: summary, edit, and invoices.
    • Summary: The summary link provides a visual representation of a billing event. You can also email the summary to selected users by clicking on the "Email Summaries" button.
    • Edit: On draft billing events, you may edit the event by clicking on the "edit" link.
    • Invoices : Allows you to view and update invoices from your billing event.
    • Delete: You may delete a billing event by clicking the red x. Note: Deleting the billing event will remove it completely. If billing has been processed on the institution side, this may result in double billing as those charges will be available for a new billing event.


For more information about other billing functions:




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iLab — View Charges

View Charges

Role: Core Administrator

The "View Charges" button is found on the Billing tab . The "View Charges" button will display all confirmed and completed charges that have not yet been added to a billing event. This is helpful for groups that like to look over their charges prior to creating a billing event.

A list of all confirmed equipment and completed service charges will display. There are many actions you may take on a charge from the list of upcoming charges:

  1. Open the service request : You may open the service request by clicking on the request ID in the "service name" section.
  2. Change Billing Status : You may change the billing status of any charge by clicking in the "Billing Status" drop-down box. The charge can be updated to Canceled, Not Ready to Bill, Ready to Bill, Not Billable, or Pro Bono.
  3. Change Work Status : You may change the work status of any charge by clicking in the "Work Status" drop-down box. The work status can be updated to Proposed, Financials Approved, Processing, Completed, or Canceled. Note: Only charges in Completed Status are able to be billed.
  4. Change billing information : To change billing information, click on the dollar sign icon to open the payment information window. From here, you may change or update the payment type and/or split the charge among multiple accounts. For detailed information on this action please reference Changing Fund/Payment Information .‍
  5. Delete a charge : You may delete a charge by clicking on the red X. Note: Deleting a charge deletes it completely from the system. You will not be able to bill for this charge unless you recreate it.
  6. Create a Billing Event : You may click on the "Create a Billing Event" link to open the billing event page and create a new billing event. This link displays on both the top and the bottom of the page.

The following options are enabled via institution setting. They may be present on your view charges interface if your institution has chosen to use this functionality.

  • Adjust Dates : If you need to adjust the date on a charge, click on the calendar icon. The date window will display.

  • View add-on charges: If an equipment charge has had additional charges added to it, you will see a green arrow beside the charge indicating it is an add-on charge.



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iLab — Creating a New Billing Event

Creating a New Billing Event

Role: Core Aministrator

A billing event is a collection of charges marked as completed and ready to be billed.  Creating a billing event allows core administrators the opportunity to review charges, update payment information for charges, and determine what charges they are ready to process.


Create a New Billing Event

To create a new billing event, navigate to the Billing tab of your core. Click the "New Billing Event" button.

The Create a New Billing Event screen displays. You will have three steps to complete.

Step 1: Define which charges should be included in this billing event by adjusting the parameters, then click "Load Charges".

Parameters that can be set:

  1. End Date : All charges confirmed or completed on or before this date will be searched for.
  2. Event Name : Designate a name for this billing event. By default, the system will append the current month to the name of the core.
  3. Include : Filter for internal charges or external charges. The default is "all".
  4. Group By : Set how charges should be grouped when creating invoices. You can group by Lab, Researcher, Request ID, or Payment Info. By default, invoices are grouped by lab.

Once parameters have been defined, click on the "Load Charges" button. All the charges within the defined parameters will display.

Step 2: Designate which charges will be included and which will excluded (if any). By default, all eligible charges are included. To exclude a charge, click on the green down arrow beside the charge. It will move to the excluded charges section. To include a charge that was previously excluded, click on the green up arrow. Similarly, the charge will display in the included charges section.

Step 3: Choose whether you would like to create the billing event, save the billing event as a draft , or cancel the billing event.

If you select to create the billing event, your new billing event will now display on the Billing tab in the list of billing events. You will be able to view the Summary of the billing event or the Invoices from the ‍links listed.


Save as a Draft Billing Event

Saving billing events as a draft provides a core the flexibility to review and organize charges over the course of their billing cycle without committing charges to an invoice. This can be helpful for higher volume cores, or facilities that have longer billing cycles, or in cases where Institution Administration handles customer invoicing. Additionally, it gives institution administrators the ability to review charges before invoices are generated.

To create a draft event follow Step 1 to Step 3 above and select "Save as Draft" under Step 3 on the New Billing Event page.

The screen returns you to the Billing tab, where you can view the summary or edit the charges in your new draft billing event.


Edit a Draft Billing Event

When a draft billing event is created, a summary of your charges included in this event are visible from the "Summary" link.  You can also continue to add charges to the billing event using the Edit link.




From the edit link, you will be directed to the Edit Draft tab or you can navigate to the Edit Draft tab from the Summary link.

From the Edit Draft tab, you have the option to edit and/or add charges.

Step 1 : From the "Load Additional Charges" button, you can set new parameters to include additional charges to this draft billing event.

Step 2 : You will able to review and update payment for charges. You also have the green action arrow icons that will allow you to add or excluded charges from the draft.

Step 3 : Save this event as a draft again by clicking "Update Draft", "Create the Billing File and Invoices", "Delete Draft", or "Cancel" your changes but retain the previous version.


Merge Draft Billing Events

At times, core administrators have created multiple Draft billing events that need to be merged into one final billing event.  On the Billing Tab, navigate to the Merge Drafts button.  Only billing events from the same core with the same charge grouping on invoices can be merged. Select the events to combine and click 'Merge Drafts' button.


Summary Tab

The summary tab gives an overview of the charges that are included in the billing event. The summary tab also allows for the core administrator to send or download their billing file, and email institution administrators a PDF of the summary page.

  1. Summary of Charges: This section outlines high level information about the charges included in the billing event.
  2. Download Files: The core facility can download billing files. Note: For institutions with integrations, there will also be a button to send the billing file to the institution billing system. File format may differ with integrations.
  3. Email Summaries: Send an email to institution administrators with the summary information included.
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iLab — Billing Errors

Billing Errors

Role: Core Administrator

When creating a billing event, you may receive a billing error. Billing errors can arise for many reasons, including incomplete billing information, missing billing information and incomplete approvals.


View and Clear Errors

When you create a billing event, the status will display as "Billing errors" if errors are present.

To view the specific errors, click on the "Summary" link. If there are billing errors that need to be resolved, a Billing Errors tab will display with a red number indicating the amount of errors in the billing event. Click on the Billing Errors tab to view the errors.

The screen will now display a row for each error, with an explanation of the error at the top of each section.

You may open the invoice in two ways: by clicking on the invoice number in the first column, or by clicking on the "View Invoice" link.

The invoice will open in a new window. The red arrow indicates where the invoice needs to be updated. In this example, the yellow warning sign over the dollar icon indicates missing/invalid payment information.

Click on the dollar sign to display the payment window, select a payment method from the drop-down box and click "save". The payment information is now updated and the billing error should be resolved. When back on the billing errors tab, you can refresh or revalidate to update the billing errors tab.

The example shown above was caused from missing/invalid payment information, but there are four possible billing errors:

  1. Invalid payment information  (shown above)
  2. Invoice need approval (information can be found at Invoices Settings )‍
  3. Purchase order is not approved (Overview of Purchase Orders can be found here )
  4. Integration-specific billing errors

Reach out to the iLab support team if you see any other error that needs to be resolved.


Revalidate an Invoice

Once you have cleared your errors, return to the Billing Errors tab.  Click the "Revalidate" button to re-validate the invoice and clear the error. You may also refresh the screen to update and clear the error.

If the error has been cleared, the Billing Errors tab will no longer display.


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iLab — Managing Invoices

Managing Invoices

Role: Core Administrator

Creating a billing event will automatically generate new invoices. Using the invoices link on the Billing Tab , you can view, download, manage and bulk send invoices.  You have several actions available when preparing to send out invoices.


Layout of Invoices Tab

The invoices tab can be found by entering a single billing event on the Billing Tab. The invoices tab is broken into two main sections.

  1. Bulk Invoice Mailer: This is the area where you can choose who should receive a copy of the invoice and have the ability to bulk email the invoices.
  2. Invoice List: Shows a list of all invoices that are part of the billing event. Invoices can be viewed individually and managed from this view.

Invoice List

Before sending invoices, you will want to review the invoice list to make sure no changes need to be made. There are a few bulk actions that may be taken on an invoice:

  1. Filters: The filters allow you to pull up invoices within specific parameters. Click on the arrow to the left of the name to see the options, select how you would like to filter an click 'Apply Filters'.
  2. Bulk Action buttons: Allow you to get PDF of Invoices, download all invoices as .csv data, and email admins with access to this invoices.
  3. Invoice Checkboxes: Prior to the above action buttons working, you must select the invoices you wish to include. Check the box next to the invoice(s), or click the top box to select all.

Invoice Actions

  1. Lab and Institution: This area tells you which Lab and Institution the invoice is for.
  2. Invoice Owner: This is the person that the invoice will be sent to. You can click over the name of the person and a list of all possible invoice owners will display. You can select a new invoice owner if the person listed is incorrect.
  3. Invoice Number: This is an auto generated unique number generated by iLab. The beginning of the invoice number defaults to core initials but can be modified in the Invoices Settings .‍
  4. Payment Numbers: The payment number(s) selected to pay the invoice.
  5. Total cost: This is the total cost of the invoice.
  6. Status: Invoices can have a status of Paid, Not Yet Paid, or Partially Paid (only shown when no charge or not billable items are included on the invoice).
  7. Comment: Clicking over the "click to edit" text allows you to enter a free text comment that will show on the invoice list view. It is recommended to keep the comment to 25 characters or less for space.
  8. Action Icons:
    1. Comment (text bubble icon) : Clicking on the comment bubble allows for you to enter a comment that is visible when viewing an invoice.
    2. Send (envelope icon): The envelope icon is open if the invoice has been sent to your customer via email. Click this button to send an individual invoice .
    3. View (magnifying glass icon): Click here to see the Invoice Detail ‍. This invoice is interactive and you do have the ability to update payment information.
    4. PDF (pdf icon): You may save a version of the online invoice as a pdf.
    5. Charges (bullet list icon) : If you select to view a list of the invoice charges, the individual charges will display at the bottom of the screen. Note that you may also take actions on the individual charges here: You may change Fund/Payment Information ‍ update payment info (dollar sign icon), adjust the dates (clicking on the calendar icon), and delete a charge (red X).
    6. Mark as paid : If you mark the bill as paid, the status will change to "paid"

Sending Invoices

Once all invoices are reviewed, you are now ready to send your selected invoices. You can send invoices via the envelope icon one by one, or you can use the bulk invoice mailer shown below.

  • Bulk Invoice Mailer: Select who invoices will be sent to.
  • Prepend custom message to invoice emails? Check box to attach a message to the top of each invoice. A blank text field will open for your message. These messages can also be set by default under the Administration Tab > Other Settings > Invoices section of your core.
  • Send Invoices: Clicking this button will send invoices to all of the people you have selected above.
  • Mark all invoices as paid: Click this button to mark all of the invoices as paid
  • Mark all invoices as billed: Click this button to mark all invoices as billed.
  • Download one PDF of All Invoices: Click this button to receive an email containing a PDF of all invoices.



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iLab — Detached Invoices

Detached Invoices

Role: Core Administrator

There are times when an invoice is waiting for updated payment information, or has a problem that cannot be resolved and is stopping a billing event from being sent. Institution and core administrators have the option to remove, or detach, an entire invoice from a billing event so the invoice with billing errors does not delay the billing process.

NOTE : This functionality requires an institution setting that may not be enabled for your institution.


Detached Invoices Overview

When detaching an invoice, both the invoice and invoice number remain intact.

Reasons for choosing to detach an invoice may include:

  • The invoice contains disputed or problematic charges, such as a valid payment method has not been provided
  • The invoice has not been approved for payment
  • More time is required by the core manager and core customer to resolve disputed charges on an invoice.

An invoice may NOT be detached from a billing event if any the following criteria apply:

  • An invoice has been marked Paid or Partially Paid
  • The billing event has a status of File Sent, which indicates that all invoices on that billing event have already been sent to an institutional ERP for final processing.

NOTE: Not all institutions allow detached invoices. Institution administration have authority over this process and determine whether or not core administrators have the ability to detach invoices from billing events.


Detach an Invoice

To detach an invoice, you must view the invoice itself. Navigate to the core's Billing tab to view your list of existing billing events that have a status of either "Billing Initialized" or "Draft", and find the billing event that contains the invoice(s) you would like to detach. Click on the appropriate invoice link to display a list of all invoices on that billing event. Open the invoice you wish to detach by selecting the magnifying glass icon to the far right.

Once the invoice is open, select the "Detach Invoice" icon at the top of the invoice.

The Detach Invoice window will open. A note may be entered in the field provided but it is not required. Click "Detach invoice" and the invoice will be removed from this billing event.

A note stating that the invoice has been detached now displays at the top of the invoice.


Bill a Previously Detached Invoice

Once an invoice has been detached from a billing event, it can be located in multiple places.

  1. A detached invoice will be moved to a new section called View Detached Invoices. This can be found under the core facility's Billing tab:
  2. A detached invoice can be viewed within the "Invoices" link, found in the left-hand navigation menu under Core Facilities. A detached invoice can be easily identified by its red lettered "Detached" status. There is also a filter within the Invoices filter panel to search for detached invoices, allowing for easy aggregation of all detached invoices.
  3. A detached invoice will be automatically moved into the next Billing Event created for inclusion when ready. Selecting the checkbox next to the invoice will insert it into the new billing event. There is also an “Include” checkbox at the top of the list of detached invoices that, if selected, will automatically check off all detached invoices as ready to include in that billing event.


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iLab — Invoice Disputes

Invoice Disputes

Roles: PI, Lab/Group Manager, Core Administrator, Institutional Administrator

Principal investigators, financial managers, and core administrators may dispute line item charges on invoices.  A charge can be flagged for dispute as long as the invoice has not been paid and as long as the billing file has not been sent to the institution's financial system. Core Admins can review the dispute and make adjustments to the line charge, if necessary. Finally, the dispute process offers the ability for institutional administrators to require a formal, valid reason for dispute as well as a formal, valid path to resolution. The available reasons and resolutions for dispute can be configured by central administration for streamlined reporting and data analysis.

NOTE : This functionality requires an institution setting that may not be enabled for your institution.


Invoice Dispute Process

The general overview of the dispute process is as follows:


For PIs or Invoice Owners

View the invoice by  selecting the magnifying glass icon to the far right. You can also follow the link in your email if you received an email asking for review.

To select a charge for dispute, hover over an individual line charge to view the orange Invoice Dispute flag. Click on this orange flag to initiate the dispute process.

A pop-up window will display, with a drop down list of possible dispute reasons. Select an appropriate reason and click Initiate Dispute.

Once a dispute has been initiated, all selected contacts will receive an email notification of the disputed invoice with a direct link to invoice. The orange flag will remain with a note indicating this charge is in dispute.


For Institutional Administrators and/or Core Administrators

To begin the dispute resolution process, click on the orange flag in the invoice. A pop-up window will display with the original dispute details as well as options for addressing the dispute. Select an appropriate resolution option and click "Resolve dispute".

Once a dispute has been successfully resolved by an institutional/financial administrator or core administrator, the orange flag will turn to green.

An email notification can now be sent to all appropriate contacts informing them that the invoice dispute has been addressed. Within the invoice view, select the Envelope icon at the top of the the invoice.

The email wizard will open. Select who you would like to send the email to and add any personalized messages within the Message box, then click Send.


Filtering Disputed Invoices

The filter tools may be used to identify and track any invoices currently disputed (Under Dispute) as well as invoices that were previously disputed but have been successfully addressed (Dispute Resolved). An orange flag indicates an invoice is disputed, while a green flag indicates the dispute has been resolved.

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iLab — Refunds

Refunds

Role: Core Administrator

Sometimes after a service is invoiced, charges are found to be incorrect and need a refund.  If the billing file has already been processed, a refund must be entered to resolve the incorrect charge. Refunds add a new line item that can be sent to the ERP to refund the original charge. Refunds can be entered from the Billing tab.

NOTE : Refunds are an Institutional Setting that must be turned on by iLab staff. Contact your Institutional Administrator to determine if Refunds are accepted at your institution. Implementing this feature may also require coordination with your institution’s finance group.


Eligibility For a Refund

A refund can only be initiated if the invoice has been marked as paid. This can be done by an automatic file transfer (certain integrations only) or manually by marking an invoice as paid ( Managing Invoices )‍.  You then open the invoice using the magnifying glass to view the invoice.


Enter a Refund

Administrators can search for the invoice which requires a refund either from the billing event list view or from the invoices list view on the left side of their iLab page.  After navigating to the invoice, hover over the charge that needs to be refunded to display the initiate refund icon.

Once the refund icon is clicked you will be prompted to select the reason for the refund from the drop down box for tracking purposes and then enter in the quantity of the charge the needs to be refunded.

Once you click the Initiate Refund button, the refund icon will remain on the refunded line item as a visual indicator that a refund has been entered for the charge.

To view the newly created refund line item click on the magnifying glass icon above the line item.  The request view will open in a new tab.

Click on the blue triangle to open the request and view the list of charges.  The refunded line item will be flagged with a refund icon and the list of refund line items for the original charge will be listed below.

If you click on the refund icon of a refunded charge on the request or on an invoice, you will see a summary of the refunds for the charge and see links to invoices for all of the line items.

Once a charge is refunded, the refunded charge and added refund line items will be visible on the request and invoice. All administrators, including customer administration, with access to the request or invoice will be able to see the refund icon and click on it to review the refund summary.


Process a Refund

Once the refund is initiated, a refund line item is added to the request with a negative quantity.  This line item is automatically added as "ready to bill" and will be available to add to the next billing event.  The institution can elect to allow refund line items to be added to the same invoices as other charges or to be added to separate invoices once the new billing event is created.  Once the refund line item is added to an invoice from the new billing event creation, it will be included in the next billing file that can be sent to the institution ERP, depending on the integration specific settings.



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iLab — Applying Taxes

Applying Taxes

Role: Core Administrator

The types of taxes and their applications on products and services is defined by administrators at the institution level. However, individual cores can decide to override the tax definitions at their institutions to fit their needs. This can be done on both equipment and services.


On Equipment

From the Schedule Equipment tab, click the edit (pencil) icon beside the equipment for which you wish to adjust the tax.

Under the Billing section, click on "Taxes". All the taxes established at the institution-level will display. For each tax, you may decide how you wish to apply the tax to your equipment by selecting from three choices displayed in the drop-down box:

  • Tax default: This option applies institution-level parameters to this piece of equipment.
  • Always: Always apply this tax to this piece of equipment.
  • Never: Never apply this tax to this piece of equipment.

Selections in the Tax sections automatically save.


On Services

From the Request Services tab, click the edit (pencil) icon beside the service for which you wish to adjust the tax.

Navigate to the section titled "Taxes". Taxes established at the institution-level that may apply to this service will display. For each tax, you may decide how you wish to apply the tax to your service by selecting from three choices displayed in the drop-down box:

  • Institution default: This option applies institution-level parameters to this service.
  • Always: Always apply this tax to this service.
  • Never: Never apply this tax to this service.

When you have completed your selections, click the "Save" button.

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iLab Support

iLab — Time Entry

Time Entry

Roles: Core Administrator, Core Staff

Time entry allows cores to account for the time spent on various projects. Core members can log hours in an easy-to-use time sheet module. The core can then bill for their services on an ongoing basis, and the customer can report on usage.

Because Time Entry is integrated into the Core Facility Management module, completed entries can be viewed on the corresponding Service Request on the View All Requests tab. Also, these entries will create charges that will populate in the New Billing Event interface.

NOTE : Time Entry must be enabled by iLab.


Time Entry Overview

To use time entry, you need to configure Time Entry at two levels:

  • Project Template : A project will serve as the "container" for all the work tracked over time. The corresponding Project Template needs to be set up to allow for Time Entry, and associated with core staff who can track their time against the project.
  • Service Template : Within a project, time will be billed against specific services. Each service may have different hourly pricing and may be associated with specific core staff that can perform the service. Each service used for hourly tracking needs to be enabled for Time Entry .

Set up a Project Template for Time Entry

You will need to create a new Project Template (or edit an existing template) to capture the work completed for the customer. To do so, n avigate to the Request Services tab on the core’s page.  Click on " Add a Service Project Template ", or use the yellow pencil to edit an existing template.

If adding a new template, give the project a name and description (optional) in the Overview section, as discussed in Editing the Service Requests panel ‍.  The setting to "Enable for Time Entry" must be changed to "Yes".  In the Visibility section, you may also want to select " Do not allow customers to initiate" if core staff only should be able to initiate this request.

Next, in the Service Project assignees section you will see a list of core staff .  Select the core staff that should be able to track their time against this type of project by clicking " Assign" to the right of their name. This will move them to the Assigned core members section. You can remove the assigned members using the red "X" to the far right.


Set up a Service Template for Time Entry

You will also need to enable the individual service for Time Entry. To do so, n avigate to the Request Services tab on the core’s page.  Click on " Add a Service Template ", or use the yellow pencil to edit an existing template.

If adding a new service template, update the fields necessary to define the service (as discussed in Editing the Service Requests panel )‍.  Time Entry must be enabled in the Overview section.  You may also want to limit the customer visibility of the service item in the Visibility section.

Next, in the Service assignees section you will see a list of core staff .  Select the core staff that should be able to track their time against this type of project by clicking " Assign" to the right of their name. This will move them to the Assigned core members section. You can remove the assigned members using the red "X" to the far right.


Initiate a Project

Initiating a "job" with time entry is the same as creating any other project in your core. The job can be initiated by a customer, or created by core staff, as discussed in Request Services ‍.

Once the core has updated the status of the job to "processing", staff can begin tracking time against the project.


Start Tracking Time

Once project  templates have been configured and a specific job has been created for the user, core staff can begin tracking time for various services. S elect Time Entry from the left menu or the Time Entry tab.

Next, select the appropriate core staff member using the drop-down list in the upper left and c lick "Add New Row".


A popup window will display. Enter at least two characters of the Request ID or customer name, and s elect the desired project.


Available services that have been assigned to the selected core staff member will display. D elete any service items that do not apply to this project, or that you do not wish to track time against. Then, c lick "Add" to add the job to the time sheet. One row will be added for each service.


Enter Time

To enter time for any day of the selected week, e ither click the up/down arrow in the appropriate cell or manually enter the hours. Time must be entered in quarter hour increments. Once done, click "Apply Changes" at the bottom.


Delete a Row

If you need to delete a row, c lick on the checkbox at the right on the desired row and then c lick "Delete selected jobs" . Note that rows on a closed week cannot be deleted.


Add a Comment

As an administrator, you have to ability to add a comment to a service entry. The member associated with the service entry will be able to view it when they log into Time Entry. To add a comment, c lick on the text bubble icon to the right. Enter a comment and press Enter when done. A green icon indicates a comment has been added. Comments can be viewed by clicking in the text bubble icon.

Note

Comments will not be visible to customers from the project, nor on the invoice for the service charge.



Enter Time for a Previous or Future Week

Sometimes it may be necessary to add or update time on a previous time sheet, or to add charges to a time sheet in the future. Use the arrows at the top of the window to navigate:

  1. Left arrow : Go back one week
  2. Bold arrow : Jump to the current week
  3. Right arrow : Go forward one week

Now enter time and comments as detailed above.

Note

Time can be entered into a prior week up until 5pm PT Tuesday evening of the current week, and into future weeks up to 12 weeks in advance.


Billing Time Entries

A time entry can be billed for after the entry is locked, which occurs on Tuesday evenings at 5pm PT for the week prior for requests that are in the Processing status. Once the times are locked for the prior week you will no longer be able to edit them.

If you Complete a job/request that has unlocked times for the current week or future weeks, it will lock those times and add them as charges to the request. You will not be able to edit these times on the time sheet.

The locked times will be added to the job/request as charges.

The time charges will be set as Ready to Bill and Completed. When you are ready to create a new billing event the charges will show when you load charges and can be included in the billing event.


Create a Time Sheet Report

Core members can see the time sheet entries in the reporting interface. To do so, c lick on the Reporting tab and select the "Time Entries" sub-tab:


The filters on the left-hand side can be used to narrow down the selected charges, and the data can be exported to CSV using the "Download as CSV" button. For more general information on the reporting module, see Reporting .‍


iLab Support

iLab — Overview of Charge Entry

Overview of Charge Entry

Role: Core Administrator

The Charge Entry tool provides a method for directly adding charges to iLab, without using the typical Service Request or other workflows. Charge Entry offers two options: a File Upload to process batches of charges and a Quick Add option to manually add charges. Both are accessible from the Charge Entry tab from your core's homepage ‍.

NOTE : The Charge Entry functionality must be turned on by iLab.

  1. File Upload
  2. Quick Add


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iLab — File Upload

File Upload

Role: Core Administrator

File upload provides a way to bulk upload charges into the system, using the Charge Entry interface. To upload charges, click on the Charge Entry tab on your core's page, then click on "File Upload".  Note: The Charge Entry feature must be turned on for your core by iLab.


Prepare a File

First you will need to download the file template by clicking on the "File template" link.

An example of the template is displayed below.

iLab can only accept the fields within the template when uploading charges.  It is best practice to download a new template each time you want to upload files or generate a new file with the required columns. Spreadsheets with deleted data or multiple sheets may cause validation errors.

To upload service charges there are a few required fields:

  • service_id : You will need to indicate the specific service item you are uploading by mapping the charge to a unique iLab service ID.  You can download the list of service ids on the File Upload page by clicking on the "Core Services" link.
  • service_quantity : You will need to enter the quantity of units of the service that was rendered.

Additionally, there are conditional fields you will have to complete depending on the information you provide.

  • service_request_id : If you want to add the service charge(s) to an existing service request in iLab, that is in the status of 'processing', you must provide the Service Request ID.
    • You can download a file of all processing requests by clicking on the "Active Service Requests" link.
    • Alternatively, you can search for the desired requests on the View All Requests tab and download the csv containing the service ids from there.  Click on the "Select Service Requests" link to navigate to the View All Requests tab:
  • owner_email : If you do not want to add charges to an existing request and instead want to create a new request, you will have to provide the request owner’s email address.
    • Note that the request owner must have an iLab account and you will need to know their email address in iLab to generate a new charge in their name.
  • pi_email : If the request owner you are adding the charge for works for multiple different Principal Investigators you will need to indicate which PI the charge is for by adding their valid email address.
    • Again, the email address you provide needs to be the email they have in iLab.

Other optional fields include:

  • note : You can include a note when uploading charges.  This note can prepend, append, or replace the service charge name once the charge is added to iLab.
  • price : If your institution policies allow you to update pricing for uploaded charges you will see a price column.  This feature is helpful for those groups that may have to update prices due to variables like market pricing.
  • payment_number : If your institution policies allow for you to upload charges with valid fund or payment numbers you can include a payment number.  If the payment number is not valid it will trigger an error during the file validation step.
  • purchased_on : You can also indicate the date the service was rendered.  If no date is entered, then the date of the upload will be the designated purchase date in iLab.

Upload a File

Once you have completed your charge upload file, you may upload the file into iLab by clicking on the "Upload file" button.

Once you click on "Upload file" you will need to choose how you want the file processed.

  • Upload name : Enter in a name for the upload that will make it easier for you to find the upload again in the future.
  • Separator : Enter in the delimiter that your file uses as the separator.  Comma is the default delimiter.
  • How to process notes : Text added to the notes field can be either not processed, be added to the front of the service name, the end of the service name, or replace the service name.  Note that the total text area can be a maximum of 255 characters.
  • Csv file : Attach the filled in upload template in csv format.

Now, click "Upload file" in the lower-right.

The new upload will display on the list below.  Click on "Validate" to check the file for errors:

The file will be added to the queue to be validated. The status of the validation will update every ten seconds.  You can also click on the refresh button   ( ) to refresh the status.  This should not take very long in most cases but if several files are being processed at one time or if you are trying to process a large number of charges this can take several minutes.

Once the validation is completed you will either see that the file is valid or that there were errors present.  When errors are present you can download the error file ( ) to see what caused the issue.  The file will not process if there are any errors present.


Fix Errors

If the file has error after completing validation, the status will read Errors present. You now have several options to investigate the errors and fix them:

  1. Show details : see detail of the upload, including the specific error that were encountered:
  2. Download original : Download a copy of the original file.
  3. Download explained : Download a copy of the file, with entries that indicate specific errors
  4. Re-validate : Attempt to revalidate the (same) file. Note that you cannot change the uploaded file for an existing upload, but certain errors may be fixed by adding certain users to the system, creating missing service requests, etc. Once those fixes have been made in the system, use revalidate to check the file again.
  5. Process : This will finalize the upload (i.e. create charges) for only the valid lines in the file. Lines with invalid charges are skipped.
  6. Cancel : Cancel this upload

Typically, fixing an upload entails creating an updated file with the errors addressed, canceling the current upload and then uploading the fixed file as a new upload.


Finalize the Upload

If the file has no error after completing validation, the status will read File valid.

The "Process" action will be available. Clicking this will queue the file for finalization, which means that the charges will be created in the system.

Once the file has been successfully processed, the status will change to Processed, the charges will have been generated and several action are now available for this upload:

  1. Show details : See a summary of the upload and its history:
  2. Download original : Download a copy of the original file.
  3. Archive : Move this file upload to the archive, so it will no longer show on the current list of upload. You can switch between the current upload and archived uploads using the View Uploads toggle:
  4. Show results : List all charges that were successfully uploaded. A panel will show below the current uploads that lets you directly make modification to the uploaded charges, including the user who entered the charges, service notes, billing status, work status and billing information. For more information, see View All Requests Overview ‍ (the functionality directly mirrors that of the Request Detail panel).
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iLab — Quick Add

Quick Add

Role: Core Administrator

The Quick Add function of the Charge Entry interface allows you to manually add charges to the system. It offers two Quick Add options - one is to create a new service request, the other is to add a charge to an existing request in the status of processing.

Note

The Charge Entry feature may not be available based on your core settings, please contact iLab support for information on having this turned on for your core.


Add Charges to New Service Request

There are two ways of adding charges using Quick Add : adding them to a new request or adding them to an existing request.

Note

The option to create a new service request through the Quick Add interface needs to be enabled by iLab. If it is not enabled, you will only have the ability to add charges to an existing request.

To Quick Add a charge to a new service request, select the Create a New Request tab and complete the fields below:

  1. Search Fund Numbers: When you begin typing the fund number, results will start to display below the search, click on the desired fund number once it appears. Once the fund number is selected, you will choose an owner and lab for the request, these fields will only populate owners that are assigned the fund number and labs that the owner and fund number associated with.

Note

The Search Fund Numbers option my not be available based on your institution and core settings. If you are interested in adding this option contact iLab Support .

  1. Select Owner : Select a user as the owner for the new request. Note that you can change the scope of the search between current customer , this institution and all users (including external users).
  2. Service Charge : Select the service you want to add a charge for (as defined in your core's Services ). You can also add a custom charge, by selecting the Custom Charge option at the bottom of the list. If you select this option, you need to populate two additional fields: Charge Name and Charge Amount :
  3. Notes : Any notes you would like to associate with the charge, the notes will be displayed with the line item on the request and on the invoice.
  4. Quantity : The quantity of services charges.
  5. Date Purchased : The date of purchase (the time will be set to 12:00am in the institution's time zone)
  6. Reset Form : This will clear the all above fields.
  7. Add to list : Click to add the charges to the list in Step 2 .

When you have added the charges to the list, review them in the panel below and make any modification or delete them with the red "X" on the right. Once finalized, click Create Request and Confirm Charges .

Next, select the Payment Method for the new request. Indicate if you want to skip financial approvals (if this option is enabled for your institution) and if you want to mark the charges on this request as completed . Finally, click Submit Request to finalize the service request and added charges.

You can now review and modify the added charge is in the bottom panel.


Add Charges to Existing Service Request

To Quick Add charges to an existing service request, select the Add to Existing Request tab (your core may only allow for adding charges to existing request, in which case the Create a New Request option is not visible). Then, complete the fields below:

  1. Find Service Request : Select an existing service request, the request must be in the status Processing .
  2. Service Charge : Select the service you want to add a charge for (as defined in your core's Services ). You can also add a custom charge, by selecting the Custom Charge option at the bottom of the list. If you select this option, you need to populate two additional fields: Charge Name and Charge Amount :
  3. Notes : Any notes you would like to associate with the charge, the notes will be displayed with the line item on the request and on the invoice.
  4. Quantity : The quantity of services charges that will be added to the request.
  5. Date Purchased : The date of purchase (the time will be set to 12:00am in the institution's time zone)
  6. Reset Form : This will clear the all above fields.
  7. Add to list : Click to add the charges to the list in Step 2 .

When you have added the charges to the list, review them in the panel below and make any modification or delete them with the red "X" on the right. Once finalized, click Confirm Charges .

You can now review and modify the added charge is in the bottom panel.


View and update added charges

When charges have been added using Quick Add, you can view and modify them in the bottom panel of the interface:

  1. Date filter : toggle whether you want to view charges by date created (when they were added using the Quick Add interface) or date purchased (the date assigned to the charges), and pick the specific day you would like to review. Then, click display charges (item 3) to update.
  2. View only charges entered by me : Toggle if you want to charges entered by all users, or only ones you created. Again, click display charges (item 3) to update.
  3. Display charges : refresh the list of charges with the current filters and options .
  4. Charges list: List all charges that were successfully added. This panel lets you directly make modifications to the uploaded charges, including the user who entered the charges, service notes, billing status, work status and billing information. For more information, see View All Requests Overview ‍ (the functionality directly mirrors that of the Request Detail panel).

Daily Billing Link

The View All Requests tab has a short-cut link to the Quick Add interface, called Daily Billing .

When Daily Billing is clicked you will be directed to a blank Quick Add form.

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iLab Support

Administration

iLab Support

Other Settings

iLab — Administration Overview

Administration Overview

Role: Core Administrator

The Administration tab allows core administrators to manage a range of core-level settings and configuration options for their site.  This tab is not visible to users of the facility.

  1. Pricing ‍: Set up price type exceptions for specific customers
  2. Custom Forms ‍: Create and modify customer forms used in service request, schedules and other workflows
  3. Members Settings ‍: Manage the access levels of members of the core staff
  4. Other Settings : Manage a wide range of settings that control the behavior of your core's workflow
  5. Billing ‍: Shortcut link to the billing tab
  6. Upload Charges: This is a deprecated interface that is not longer in use. For more information on uploading charges, see Charge Entry Overview
  7. Collaborative Cores ‍: This is an institution setting that when enabled, will populate this panel. Collaborative cores allows for 2 or more cores to share a service request with other cores at their institution.
  8. Customer Test Mode ‍: Enter into a mode that displays the core as a core customer would see it.
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iLab — Pricing

Pricing

Role: Core Administrator

The pricing panel is used to override a customer's assigned price type. Price types can be defined at the institutional, group or individual level, with the more specific definition taking precedence. For example, if a user's institution is set to the "Corporate" price type, but that user's lab is set to "Internal" pricing, the latter price type will apply.

Note that default behavior in iLab will set the price type to "Internal" for all users of the institution that the core is a part of, while it is set to "External" for all users of institutions outside the one the core belongs to. Other price types need to be applied manually, such as the "Corporate" price type or any other custom price types defined for the institution.

The Pricing panel is located on the Administration tab of your core:

To add a new price type override:

  1. Type (part of) the institution, group or user in the "Add special price access" search box
  2. Set the desired access level
  3. Click "Share price" to confirm

Your selected customer and their new access level will display at the bottom of the panel. Delete any selections by clicking on the red X beside the name.


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iLab — Custom Forms

Custom Forms

Role: Core Administrator

Custom forms can be created by core administrators from the Administration panel to help capture information that is required to process a service or schedule a reservation. Forms are built, then linked to project templates , service templates , study projects and/or schedules ‍.  When a user requests the service or usage, they will be presented with the form to complete before submitting their request.


Managing Custom Forms

To create a new custom form, click on the Custom Forms section in the Administration tab. Then click on "Create a Custom Form". The Custom Forms panel provides a number of options to manage the custom forms of your core:

  1. Create : Click the "Create a Custom Form" button to add a new form.
  2. Edit : Click the pencil icon to edit the form
  3. Delete : Click the red "X" icon to remove the form
  4. Clone : Click the stacked windows icon to clone this form. You will be prompted to provide a name for the new form.

Edit a Custom Form

When you create a new form or edit an existing form, you be brought to the Edit Custom Form interface:

  1. Name : Set the name used for the form, so you can easily recognize it when associating it with a project, service, schedule, etc.
  2. Instructions : Include instructions to the user that will appear at at the top of the form.
  3. Display unique identifier on each form submission? : If this option is selected, a unique identifier is shown at the top of each form:
  4. Form fields : This area lists all the form fields that make up the form, as discussed in more detail below .
  5. Form Preview : Shows a preview of the form as configured by the fields above. This area is updated as you add/modify fields.

Edit Form Fields

The bulk of a form consists of the individual form fields that users need to complete. You can add and modify these fields using the Form fields interface:

  1. Field type : select the field you would like to add from the drop-down, and then click the green plus sign to add the field to the bottom of the form (you can later change its position, as discussed under 10). The field types you can select include:
    • 'small text box': This field allows the user to enter in a small amount of text information like a title or a quantity.
    • 'medium text box': This field allows the user to enter in a medium amount of text information.
    • 'large text box': This field gives a place for the user to enter in a larger amount of information like sentences or paragraphs.
    • 'date': The date field gives a calendar icon for users to indicate a day and time.
    • 'pull-down menu': If you want your users to choose from a list of options, but to limit them to a single selection from a predetermined list the pull-down menu is an available option.
    • 'attachment': If you want to provide a place in the form for users to upload a document, you can use the attachment field option. Please instruct your users to upload a file no larger than 400MB.
    • 'file template': You can provide a file for your users to download in the form.  The file size limit is 400MB.
    • 'radio buttons': For questions that require only one option to be chosen, for example yes/no questions.
    • 'check boxes': If you want your user to be able to choose multiple options, you can use check boxes.
    • 'help': The help field provides a field where you can type information in the default value column, which will show on your form preceded by a question mark icon
    • 'text section': The text section is available for you to add instructions or information within the form.
    • 'table': You can add a simple table to your form and designate the columns of the table for your users to fill out.
    • 'grid': You can provide a dynamic table for users to fill in needed data.  More information can be found below .  You can add charges from grids only on service requests.
    • 'charges': The charges option gives you a place for your users to enter in the quantity of units of services required for their project and then add the charges to build their own quote.  This options is only available for service requests
  2. Save progress : Save your form, but continue editing it
  3. Label : This is the name of your field. You may enter a free text label.
    • HTML use on labels is not recommended but is available.  Some minor validations will be applied to make sure HTML is formatted correctly.  Incorrectly formatted HTML can make the form unusable so please do make sure HTML is correct.
    • You can use the label search to find a field you want to view or modify within the form.
  4. Unique ID : You may name your unique identifier. If left blank, the system will define one for you.  This field is necessary for show_if conditions within the form as described in more detail below .
  5. Type : This is the type of field you added (see above)
  6. Default value : Indicate the default options for the field. To specify predetermined options for radio buttons, pull-down menus and check-boxes, separate all of the options with a comma. Although not required, it is recommended to not put a space after each comma in the value list. For example, to show the options "yes", "no" and "maybe" in a radio button field, we recommend typing "yes,no,maybe" (without the quotation marks).
  7. Required? : Indicate if the field is required. If you want to highlight fields as important with the required asterisk, but not actually inhibit a user’s ability to submit a form without that information, you can mark fields as required, then in the {CUSTOM FORM SETTING} turn off 'Customer must complete all fields marked as required'.
  8. Show if : Indicate if you want the field to only show when specific conditions are met in other fields, as described in more detail below .
  9. Include in emails : Indicate whether this field should be included in service request submission emails.  These fields will be displayed in a table on emails sent to core staff when a request is submitted.
  10. Move and delete : Use the green up and down arrows to change the position of the field on the form. Click the red "X" to delete the field from the form.
  11. Save and Cancel : Click "Save" to finish editing the form and go back to the Administration tab. Click cancel to close the form without keeping any of the changes you made.

Add a Grid to a Form

To capture user data in a two-dimensional table format, you can use a grid field type (as discussed above). There are a few functions that are specific to grids, as discussed below:

  1. Column names : In the "default value" field, enter the various columns you want to show on your form, separated by commas. You can further modify these columns with the Enhance Columns option discussed below.
  2. Select Services : In addition to generic columns, you can also add columns that correspond to Services defined for your core . The quantities entered into these columns can then be easily converted into charges of the service request the form is attached to, as discussed further below under process grid charges . Select the services you want to add with the green plus icons.
  3. Enhance Columns : You can further define the characteristic of the generic columns you have specified on your form. By clicking on "Enhance forms", you can specific the type of column, the width, and the options (if applicable).
    • text : free text input
    • checkbox : a yes/no or true/false type input
    • date : a date picker input
    • autocomplete : a text field that auto-completes based on the entries in the Options column.
    • location : allows selection of a location (as defined by the core)
  4. Grid preview : View the grid columns. Note that generic columns are show in a black font, while services have a green header.
  5. Process grid charges : When a form is attached to a service request or reservation (not in preview mode), clicking this button will turn the totals for each service column into charges for that specific service, so that they can be processed and billed (see below). For more information on managing service request, see Managing a Single Service Request ‍.

Add a Conditional Statement to a Form

Form fields can be displayed conditionally, i.e. based on specific conditions. This is particularly helpful when using pull-down menus, check-boxes or radio buttons to conditionally display other fields. To conditionally show a field, type the exact value from the Unique ID column followed by an “=” sign and then the exact value it must equal in the show if column.

For example, if you are creating a new field that should only be shown if the user agrees to certain conditions (as captured in a checkbox field with unique ID "Agree"), you should type 'Agree=Yes' in the show if field. Note that for show if statements to work properly, each unique ID value must be different within one form and must be entered in the show if exactly as it displays in the unique ID field.

You can combine two or more conditions with logical AND and OR operators by using the && and || symbols in show if statements. Note that && has a precedence over || and will be evaluated first.

For example, if you want a new field to be shown only if species equals mouse AND color equals white , where color is another field, you should type ' species=mouse&&color=white '. If you want to expand the condition to be true for white mice OR brown rabbits, you could use ' species=rabbit&&color=brown||species=mouse&&color=white '.

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iLab — Members Settings

Members Settings

Role: Core Administrator

The Members Panel is a list of all core or administration staff who have access to manage your core. The Members panel is accessed through the Administration tab. From the Members Panel, you may add new members to your core, view and edit the role of existing members, edit member profile details, or delete current members.

To add an additional member to your core, type their name into the search box. When the correct person displays, select the role you wish to assign to them, and click the "Invite" button. Helpful Hint: If two people have the same name, you can hover over the name to see the email associated with each individual.

Roles available are:

  • member: Members may manage workflow. They can approve equipment reservations, add services and milestones, and complete charges for billing.
  • manager: Managers may manage workflow and may edit equipment and services (if their institution allow for it), and also run billing and reporting.
  • financial manager: Financial manager has access to the above roles but also can access the Other Settings panel under the core's Administration tab..
  • admin: Admins can complete all tasks available to members, managers, and financial managers, along with access to all administration settings.

To view the role of existing members, hover over the people icon. Hover text will display their role. To edit a member's role, email or phone number, click on the yellow pencil icon. Save all changes.

To delete a member, click the red X beside the name you wish to remove.


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iLab — Customer Test Mode

Customer Test Mode

Role: Core Administrator

Customer test mode allows a core administrator to see their site as a customer would. This is particularly helpful once a core is live and no longer logs in with a test user to see site changes. To activate this mode, click on the link that says 'Customer Test Mode'.

Once in customer test mode, you can navigate your site and see what everything looks like. Please note any requests or reservations you make will not be permanent. Once you are ready to navigate back into your site, click on the 'turn it off' link in the yellow bar at the top of the site.

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iLab Support

iLab — Publication Tracker

Publication Tracker

Role: Institution and Core Administrators

As a Core Administrator and/or Institution Administrator, the Publication Tracker module was developed to help you view publications that your facilities and researchers have contributed to. This module reduces the amount of time you spend manually tracking publications and accurately captures the number and type of contributions made by the core. Additionally, Publication Tracker provides tools that can help institutions, cores, and lab administrators download and then layer the publication data on top of other reporting data captured by iLab.

NOTE: If you are interested in adding Publication Tracker to your institution, contact your iLab PM for more information.


Getting Started

Once Publication Tracker has been enabled for your institution, all institution administrators and core facility administrators can use the left hand navigation panel to navigate to the publication tracker link.

  1. Publication Tracker Link: Clicking this link in the left side menu will load the module.
  2. Navigation Tabs: PubTracker consists of three tabs, Discover, Review, and Dashboard
  3. Discover Buttons: By default, the Discover tab opens displaying the Create a New Query or List Existing Queries buttons. The default is set to the List Existing Queries view.
  4. List Existing Queries: If queries have been created, the List Existing Queries default view will list all queries in alphabetical order.

Discover Tab

List Existing Queries

When viewing the List Existing Queries, the queries are listed in alphabetical order and there are several actions that can be taken.

  1. Help icon: Hovering over the help icon on a query will display the basic query parameters.
  2. Blue Carrot: The Play icon will run the query and display all matching articles on the bottom half of the page.
  3. Pencil icon: Allows for editing and opens the query to expose any parameters that may be edited.
  4. Export icon : Allows exporting of the query results into an Excel spreadsheet.
  5. Delete icon: Permanently deletes the query.


Create a New Query

To create a new query, Click on the button Create a New Query .

A pop up screen will ask you for all information needed to run a new query.

  1. Name this query: Choose a name that will make your query easily identifiable.
  2. Select a database to search: Currently, the system allows only the PubMed database to be searched but more publication databases may be added in the future.
  3. Query Context: Select the core facility for which you are configuring the query. NOTE: When you enable this field, the Dynamic Query Parameters options will display.
  4. Date Range: Set a range of dates for the publications using the Since and through fields.
  5. Query Options Section: There are two query options Dynamic query parameters or Custom query parameters. You must select an option from at least one of the two groups for any articles to show.
  6. Dynamic query parameters: Allows for directed queries to return the most relevant results. Each of the dynamic query options has a help icon. Hover over this icon to learn more about the setting.
  7. Custom Query Parameters: Allows for an additional search using specific PubMed terms and custom keywords. Note: The default in the middle dropdown is All Fields, scrolling up exposes Affiliation which allows for more refined results.

8. Add Another Parameter: You can add additional parameters to your search to customize your search. There is no limit on the number of parameters that can be added.

9. Save & Search: This button will execute your search and display all results. The query will also now show under the List existing queries button when navigating to the Discover tab.


Reviewing the query list

Executing a query returns a paginated list of queries from PubMed that match the dynamic and custom query parameters you set. The queries are displayed in a list order with high-level information present.

  1. Last Query Run: This section shows the list parameters.
  2. Publications List: This section shows all the publications found in the search.
  3. Review Publications: The default view in the publications list. A list of all publications pulled from your search parameters.
  4. Ignored Publications: Any publications that have been marked as ignore publication in previous queries will be listed under this tab. Note: This list is specific to each user.
  5. Title of Article: The article title as listed in PubMed.
  6. Abstract Link: Links to the article in PubMed in a new tab.
  7. Magnifying glass: Opens this article in a new tab.
  8. Abstract: Displays the abstract of the article in the current screen.
  9. Journal: Lists the journal and the issue the article is listed in.
  10. PubMed ID: Unique identifier assigned to every PubMed record.
  11. PMCID: PubMed Central Identifier which is the identifier for all works published in the free-to-access PubMed Central.
  12. Authors: Any authors of the article that are listed in the article are pulled up.
  13. Cores: Any referenced facilities used in the article that belong to the institution will show here.
  14. Ignore Publication Button: Clicking the button moves the article to the Ignored Publications tab. The eye icon indicates the publication has been ignored. To reverse the ignore action, click on the Unignore publication button.
  15. Core did not contribute: If looking at the publication you realize that your core did not contribute to the publication, you can simply click the "Core did not contribute" button. This adds an entry to the iLab database. If you’ve configured your publication query to ignore publications to which you don’t have a contribution, you will not be presented this publication the next time you run your query.
  16. Review and Suggest Contributors: If you believe that the publication is relevant to your core, click the "Review and Suggest Contributors" button. This will expand the individual query to allow you to confirm contributions.

Confirming Publications

Clicking on Review and Suggest Contributors, will expand the screen, giving various options within each article. The article is split into 3 sections.

  1. Article Summary: The shortened version of the article information from the previous page.
  2. Authors: A list of the Authors that are recognized by iLab.
  3. Core Facilities: A list of all core facilities at the institution.


Confirming Authors

  1. Author Name: This is the author's name as recognized by the iLab system.
  2. Contribution: Select if the author contributed by using the Yes, No or Don't know buttons.
  3. Contribution Level: Select the level of Authorship for the selected author. For reference, authorship is defined by the ICMJE and levels of authorship may be found here .
  4. Confirmed By: The system will track the person responsible for confirming authorship.
  5. Missing Authors: Review the other authors to determine if any other should be added. If you see an author listed, click on their name and you will be able to associate them to an iLab account (see #6). To add additional authors, click the "Add other..." link. Then, begin entering a name and select from the options in the drop-down box.
  6. Associate the author to iLab: Select the appropriate user to associate the user to their iLab account and add them to the list above for confirmation.


Confirming Cores

Institutions will have a chance to confirm that core facilities that contributed to the research in the article are recognized.

  1. Name of Facility: This is a recognized name of a facility within the iLab system that is linked to this article.
  2. Name of Institution: The name of the Institution to which the Core facility belongs.
  3. Contribution: Select if the author contributed by using the Yes, No or Don't know buttons.
  4. Contribution Level: Select the level of Contributorship for the selected facility. For reference, contributorship is defined by the ICMJE and levels of non-author contributorship may be found here . Options are Contributorship, Acknowledgement, and Other
  5. Confirmation Choices: Wait or Confirm Now can be selected. Wait sends a notification to the core manager to confirm any confirmation from the core. Confirm Now will mark this core as having contributed to the level selected and place the person's name that confirmed to the right.
  6. Additional facilities that may have contributed: This list of additional cores allows you to select an additional group that has contributed to the research in an article. To add new contributing cores, simply click on the appropriate core from the interface. Then, define the same parameters from 3 and 4 above.
  7. Save Contributors: Clicking this button saves both the authors and core facility sections.


Confirmed Publications

After reviewing a publication and saving both authors and facilities, these contributions will be indicated by the blue notification in the overview information for that publication. Further review of the publication can be done at any point.

  1. Green check mark: Indicates that contributors have been marked in some way within the publication.
  2. Blue author name: Indicates this author has been confirmed or has is waiting to be confirmed.
  3. Blue facility name: Indicates that this facility has been confirmed.

Review Tab

The Review tab in the Publication Tracker interface will search across all queries that have been created at your institution and will also allow you to search via the specific parameters of Contribution and Confirmation, Facility and by Keyword.

To begin, click on the Review tab.

Now, select your search parameters:

  1. Contribution Level: Options are Contributed, Did Not Contribute, Contribution Unknown, and All.
  2. Confirmation: Options are Only Confirmed, Only Unconfirmed, and Show All.
  3. Facility: Use the drop down box to select which core facilities you would like to include in your search. You may choose only one or several core facilities to include.
  4. Keyword: Using the free text field, type in any keywords to search by. Use commas to separate words in a multi-word search.
  5. Search: Click the Search button to display the results that match your parameters.
  6. Results: Your search results will display below.
  7. Review and Suggest Contributors: If you have results that require action, you can click on the Review and Suggest Contributors button to mark contributions or confirm facility involvement.

Dashboard Tab

The Dashboard tab gives you the ability to view and download detailed information about publications.

There are three actions you may take on this information:

  1. Reload Grouped by: When you first open the Dashboard tab, the default display is by Publication Entrez Date. You may change this by clicking Reload Grouped By... button and selecting Publication by iLab Date.
  2. Email: You may email the dashboard by clicking the Email button. The Email this report box will open where you will add the email addresses of the recipients, select to include charts, and add a message. Once you have completed these, click Send.
  3. Export: You can export the dashboard data by clicking the Export button and selecting either Publications as PDF or Publications as Excel.




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iLab Support

iLab — Collaboration on Requests and Reservations

Collaboration on Requests and Reservations

Role: Core Administrator

The collaboration feature allows users to share their requests and reservations with fellow researchers for work purposes and will allow the collaborators to edit the shared request or reservation, start reservations, and add additional charges and services. Collaborators will not be able to change the payment information. As a core administrator you can make updates to the list of collaborators on requests and reservations at any time.

Note

Collaboration setting can only be turned on by an iLab associate. Contact support for more information or to turn on this feature.


Collaboration Settings

The collaboration settings are housed under the iLab use only section on the Administration tab. You will be able to see the settings but will need to contact an iLab associate to change any of the settings regarding collaboration on requests and reservations.

Allow requests and events to be shared with multiple researchers : The user initiating the request or reservation will have the ability to add other researchers as collaborators. These researchers can be from the users same lab, other labs at the user's institution, or external to the user's institution.

Send a notification to collaborators when added to events or requests: Once a researcher is added as a collaborator they will receive a notification via email letting them know they have been added to a request or reservation as a collaborator.

Allow users to share events and requests with their entire lab: When searching to add collaborators to a reservation or request a user will have the option to search for and collaborate with their entire lab. There will be a list of the user's group(s)/lab(s) under the search option that the user can click to quickly add their full group/lab as a collaborator.


Share a Request or Reservation

Add Individual Collaborators

When a request or reservation is initiated there will be a collaborators section. In this section the person initiating the request or reservation will be able to search for other users to add as collaborators. If the user has added collaborators before, past collaborators will be displayed in a drop down list when they click in the search box, they can also type in the search box to find additional users they have not previously collaborated with. If the user has not added collaborators before they will start typing in the search box to find the fellow users to add as collaborators.

The Collaborators section will be displayed in the top right section of the reservation details.

Once the name of the needed user is seen on the drop down list, click on the name to add them as a collaborator.

Add an Entire Group as Collaborators

You have the ability to allow users to add an entire lab/group as collaborators in addition to adding individual users. When initiating a request or reservation there will be an option under the collaborators section to Add an entire group of collaborators . This will include everyone in the group/lab as a collaborator.

When the group name is clicked on it will be added to the list of collaborators and all the members will be able to access the request or reservation.

If a user is removed from a group/lab they will loose access as a collaborator on the request or reservation the entire group has been added to.

Note

If the user is a member of more than seven labs the option to share with an entire group will not be available.

Edit Collaborators

Once collaborators are added they can be removed by clicking the x in their name block.

This will immediately remove their access as a collaborator on the request or reservation.

You, as well as the initiating user, can remove and add collaborators on a request or reservation at any time.


Collaborator Restrictions

Access Request Required

There are settings that a core may have enabled that will impact if a collaborator can access a request or be added to a reservation.

If the facility requires access requests , the user adding collaborators may encounter that the researcher they need to add shows up in an orange color on the results list. Results that are in orange indicate that the researcher has not been granted access to the core facility.

A user in orange can be added to the request or reservation but will not be able to view or edit it until they are granted access to the core facility. Once a user in orange is added to a request or reservation an access request will automatically be generated on their behalf.

Once the core facility grants access to the collaborator they will be able to edit and view the request or reserv ation.

Equipment Permission Level

When adding collaborators to reservations the permission level set by the core for the resource must be granted to each user before they can be added. If an equipment schedule requires that a user be trained, no user that has not been assigned the permission level trained can be added as a collaborator. If the user has the trained permission level their name will show in black and can be selected, if a user has not been granted the trained level their name will be greyed out and not selectable.


View Shared Requests and Reservations

On the View All Requests tab you will be able to identify requests with collaborators as they will display a collaborator icon.

If a user has a request shared with them they will be able to view the request from their View My Requests tab. When the request is expanded using the carrot icon the collaborators will be listed with the request.

When viewing a schedule , reservations with collaborators will display a collaborator icon.

If you hover over the reservation to view the details the names of the collaborators will be included in the details. The collaborators will also be shown when the reservation details are open by clicking on the reservation.

If a user is added as a collaborator on a reservation the reservation will show on their My Reservations page.

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iLab — Reporting-copy-675

Reporting-copy-675

Roles: Principal Investigator, Core Administrator, Institutional Administrator

Most users with an administrative role in iLab system will be able to utilize the reporting functionality. Reporting allows users to generate reports on much data underlying the iLab workflow, but in all cases their access to this data is restricted to the data they have control over (e.g. a core manager can report on all data for their core, while a PI can report on all data relevant to their lab/group).


Access the Reporting Interface

The reporting interface can be accessed for all administrative users from the left-hand navigation :

This will open the Reporting Home page, where you can select the various types of reporting available to you, based on your role. Note that the reporting interface is identical for all roles, the only difference is in the data that will be included in the generated reports. From Reporting Home you can access general reporting, as well as any reports you have saved (discussed below).

As a Core Administrator , you can access core reporting directly from your Core ‍ :

As a System Administrator , you can also access institutional reporting directly from your Institutional Dashboard :


Overview of Reporting

The reporting interface consists of a number of panels. Note that certain panels are not available for all report types (e.g. Custom Forms only has a Report Setting panel).

  1. Report type : iLab provides reporting on a range of different data sets, including charges, requests, events, custom forms and time entries and requisitioning, if applicable.
  2. Open report : Load the default report or a saved report, create a new report or return to the Reporting Home interface.
  3. Report settings : Configure reporting time frames and the exhibits that show in the report.
  4. Filter data : Filter the data included in the report.
  5. View exhibits : View and manage the exhibits included in the report.
  6. Report actions : Save reports, share access, e-mail the report, export report data and print the report.

Report Types

iLab provides a range of report types:

  • Charges : report on the individual financial charges generated by core facilities, e.g. quantify, price, type, timing, etc.
  • Requests : report on data related to service requests, e.g. projected/actual cost, average completion time, etc.
  • Events : report on data related to scheduled events, e.g. scheduled/actual time, scheduled/actual cost, etc.
  • Custom Forms : download data captured in Custom Forms ‍.
  • Time Entries : report on Time Entry ‍ data
  • Requisitioning : report on data related to requisitioning

The first three report types, Charges , Request and Events , are the core of iLab reporting, and function very similarly. The key difference is the type of data that can be reported on and exported, as discussed in more detail in Reporting Field Details ‍ .

The C ustom Forms report is only available for core-level reporting and provides a mechanism to download the fields of custom forms used by that core:

Select a date range under section 1, pick a form used by this core under section 2, and click the "Download custom form source data as CSV" button to download the form fields as completed by the users of the core.  Note that currently, only the following data field types are supported for download:  small text box, large text box, date, pull-down menu, attachment (name of file only), radio buttons, check boxes, charges, tables.

The Time Entries report is another core-level report that provides reporting on Time Entry ‍ data (if enabled for the core):

  1. Keywords : find specific time-entry charges based a keyword that may appear in any of the fields associated with that charge.
  2. Filters : Select one or more filter criteria to narrow down the time-entry charges included in the report. Expand a criteria by clicking on the little arrow, and then use the check boxes to determine which specific entries to include.
  3. Apply Filters : Apply the filters selected above to the report.
  4. Reset Filters : Remove all applied filters.
  5. Download as CSV : Create a file that includes all the (filtered) time-entry charges.
  6. View charges : show all the time-entry charges based on the applied filters.

Open a Report

To access or start a report, you have four options:

  • Load default : Populate a report with default settings and exhibits.
  • Load saved : Select a previously saved report (see Report Actions ) and click "Load". Note, you can adjust the dates of a saved report to load new data points into your preferred format.
  • Build new : Clears the current report and start building a new report, using the default report as a starting point.
  • Reporting home : Go to the Reporting Home page, shown under the Access Reporting Interface .

Report Settings

Most reports require the user to specify the following settings:

  1. Select a date range : Pick a start and end date you want to use for the report. Alternatively, click on the "select a date range preset" link to open up a number of pre-configured date ranges:
  2. Select date field : For Charge and Requests reports, this field lets you select the date to used for each item in the report. For a Charge report, you can choose to show the charges by purchase date (when the charge was created), completion date (when the work the charge is associated with was marked as completed) and billing date (when the billing event the charge is included in was created). For Requests report, you can choose the Submission date (when the request was submitted) and the Completion date (when the request was marked as complete).
  3. Customize Display : This option allows you to fully customize the exhibits you want to include in the report, as discussed in more detail under Configure Exhibits .
  4. Apply settings : Click the "Run report!" button to apply the previous settings and generate/update the report. This will show any applicable panels that were not yet visible.

Configure Exhibits

Each exhibit in the report can be fully configured, and exhibits can be easily added and deleted. Note that to change an existing exhibit, you need to first click on the pencil icon in column 9:

  1. Move exhibit : The green arrows can be dragged up and down to change the order of the exhibits in the report.
  2. Chart type : You can choose from a number of typical chart types: stacked bar, line, stacked line, pie, data table.
  3. Group by : The first grouping applied to the data in the exhibit. For example, select lab to first group charges or requests by the requesting lab.
  4. Value to report on : Choose the value to show in the report. The options available here are based on the report type, as discussed in more detail in Report Types .
  5. Display data by : Choose the time frame you would like to use to consolidate data into (e.g. week, month, quarter, day of week, hour).
  6. Also group by : Apply a second grouping to the data (incremental to item 3). This will create a sub-panel for the second grouping, up to a maximum of 10.
  7. No-charge as $0 : When set to "yes", non-billable and pro-bono charges will be included at $0. Also, no-charge events will be considered to have a price of $0 when calculating scheduled cost. When set to "no", reported totals will include the full value of costs and services provided, even if the customer was not billed for them.
  8. Convert pie to bar if any values are negative : Only applies to bar charts. When checked, any pie chart with negative value will be converted to a bar chat (so negative values can be shown). When not checked, any negative slices will be excluded.
  9. Edit exhibit : Click the pencil icon to make edits to the selected exhibit (drop-down options appear in each column that allow the user to change the settings).
  10. Delete : Delete the selected exhibit (note: you will NOT be prompted for confirmation)
  11. Add a new chart or table : Adds a new exhibit at the bottom the the exhibit list (can be moved as discussed under item 1)
  12. Apply : Once you have made any changes to the exhibit you MUST click the Apply button to effect any changes.
  13. Close and cancel all changes : click this link to close the panel and cancel any changes.

Filter Report Data

The data in most reports can be filtered down to very specific criteria. As an example, the filters for a Charges report are shown below:

Select one or more filter criteria to narrow down the data included in the report. Expand a criteria by clicking on the little arrow, and then use the check boxes to determine which specific entries to include. For more information on the fields available for each report type, see Reporting Field Details ‍ .

Once done configuring the filter, click "Apply Filters". To remove all filters, click "Reset Filters".


View Report Exhibits

The main Exhibit panel shows all the exhibits in the report. An exhibit might look like:

Hover over each exhibit to show a small panel in the upper-left corner with the option to edit the exhibit (this brings up the panel discussed under Configure Exhibits ) or to delete it (red X icon). You can also move the mouse over the exhibit to get more detailed information about specific data points.


Report Actions

You have a range of options to further manage the current report and its underlying data:

  • Save : Save this report within iLab, so it can be easily recalled later and be shared with other iLab users. When prompted, provide a name, click "Save", and the report will be saved under the appropriate category. You can also select an existing report to overwrite. To load this same report in the future, you would click on 'Load Saved'.
  • Share : Once a report has been saved, it can be shared with other who also have access to the underlying data. For example, for a core-level report, you might share the report with the other core managers, or with the core's institutional administrators:
  • Email : The e-mail option let's you send a copy of the report by e-mail. You can select the recipients and Subject, and also indicate what information to include as an attachment (a PDF version of the report, the underlying source data and/or the data from the individual exhibits as XLS or CSV files). You can customize the message and indicate if you would like a copy sent to yourself.
  • Export : The export option let you download report data in various formats. You can download the charts and tables as a PDF file or you can download the data shown in the various exhibits as either XLS or CSV files. You can also download all of the source data (not just what is shown in the exhibits) in the report date range to a CSV file. This option is typically the most useful for those who are comfortable analyzing full data sets in other applications (e.g. Excel). See Reporting Field Details ‍  for more information about which fields are included in which report.
  • Print preview : This option opens up the report in a view that only shows the exhibits, for easy printing directly from your browser.
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iLab — Reporting Field Details-copy-675

Reporting Field Details-copy-675

Roles: Principal Investigator, Core Administrator, Institutional Administrator

This article provides additional information on the fields that are available from the Reporting ‍ interface, specifically all the fields that are included in the "Source Data as CSV/XLS" option under "Export".  A selection of these fields are also available as report filters.


Charge Reporting Fields

Field
Description
Service ID
If the charge is part of a service requests, this field will contain the the service request ID (as visible within iLab), otherwise blank
Customer Name
The name of the customer associated with this charge
Customer Title
The title of the customer (if available)
Customer Lab
The lab to which this charge is or will be billed
Customer Department
The department the customer belongs to (if departments are configured for the customer's institution)
Customer Institute
The institution the customer belongs to
Charge Name
The name of the charge. This is typically the name of the service as defined under Editing Services . For generic charges, this field contains "(charge)", followed by the name of the charge as entered.
Notes
Any notes associated with the charge
Payment Information
The payment information used for billing the charge (if already provided)
Custom Field
For customers with integrations, iLab has the ability to set up to 3 custom fields. If applicable, this information will feed into this field. Note: This field is not retroactive and will only populate once custom field information has been entered and forward.
Status
The "work" status of the individual charge:
  • proposed : The charge has been proposed to the customer, but has not yet been accepted by the customer.
  • financials_approved : The charge has received financial approver (typically from the PI or lab/group manager, but potentially from a Departmental administrator or Institutional Administrator).
  • processing : The work associated with the charge is in progress.
  • completed : The work associated with the charge has been completed.
  • canceled: The charge has been canceled.
Billing Status
The billing status of the charge:
  • canceled : The charge is canceled and will not be billed.
  • not_ready_to_bill : The charge is not (yet) ready to be billed.
  • ready_to_bill : The charge is ready for billing
  • billing_initialized : The charge has been billed
  • not_billable : The charge has been marked as not billable
  • pro_bono: The charge has been marked as pro bono (i.e. no charge to the customer)
Quantity
The quantity component of the charge (i.e. number of "units")
Price
The price per unit of this charge
Total Price
The total price of the charge (i.e. price x quantity)
Price Type
The price type applied to this charge (e.g. internal, external, corporate, etc.)
Creation Date
The date the charge was created in iLab
Purchase Date
The date the charge was entered in iLab. Typically equal to the creation date, unless the core back-dated the charge (if allowed)
Completion Date
The date the work associated with the charge was marked as complete
Billing Date
The date of the billing event in which the charge was included
Created By
iLab user that created the charge.
Core Name
The name of the core that created the charge.
Invoice Num
The number of the invoice associated with the charge (if the charge was billed)
No Charge Justification
The provided justification for not charging for this item
Ad-hoc Charge Justification
The provided justification for an ad-hoc (flexible) charge
Organization Name
The name of the organization the lab has been added to (not configured for most institutions)
Company Organization Name
The name of the organization the core is a part of (not configured for most institutions)
Charge ID
The unique identifier of this charge
Reviewed
If Peer Review Status is enabled, this column will populate with Peer-reviewed or Non peer-reviewed. If not enabled, No Status Yet will appear
Center
The center the users' lab belongs to.
Category
The category of the charge, as defined in the service associated with the charge
Usage Type
The usage type of the schedule associated with the charge ‍
UNSPSC Code
For Storeroom cores, this is the code entered when a product is entered in the system. If not provided, this number will be 12000000.
UNSPSC Name
For Storeroom cores, this is the name entered when a product is entered in the system
Facility Catalog Number
For Storeroom cores, this number is specific to the storeroom itself.
Central Catalog Number
For Storeroom cores, this number comes from the procurement group but is typically the same as the Facility Catalog Number.

Service Request Reporting Fields

Field
Description
Service ID
The identifier of this service request
Customer Name
The name of the customer associated with this charge
Customer Lab
The lab to which this charge is or will be billed
Customer Title
The title of the customer (if available)
Customer Department
The department the customer belongs to (if departments are configured for the customer's institution)
Customer Institute
The institution the customer belongs to
Custom Field
For customers with integrations, iLab has the ability to set up to 3 custom fields. If applicable, this information will feed into this field. Note: This field is not retroactive and will only populate once custom field information has been entered and forward.
Actual Cost
The actual cost of the service request (based on all included services and charges)
Projected Cost
The originally projected costs for the service request
Current Milestone
The most recently completed milestone for this service request
Status
The status of the request, as discussed in Request Status
Number of Line Items
The number of line items included in the service request (equal to the number of charges if split billing is not used)
Creation Date
The date the service request was created
Submission Date
The date the service request was submitted. Typically equal to the creation date, unless the core back-dated the charge (if allowed)
Completion Date
The date the service request was marked as complete.
Created By
The iLab user that created the service request.
Core Name
The name of the core that created the charge.
Organization Name
The name of the organization the lab has been added to (not configured for most institutions)
Reviewed
If Peer Review Status is enabled, this column will populate with Peer-reviewed or Non peer-reviewed. If not enabled, No Status Yet will appear
Center
The center this core belongs to.

Event Reporting Fields

Field
Description
User Login Email
The e-mail address the user used to login to iLab
PI email
The e-mail address of the user's PI
Equipment Name
The name of the equipment that was used
Customer Name
The name of the customer associated with this charge
Customer Lab
The lab to which this charge is or will be billed
Customer Title
The title of the customer (if available)
Customer Department
The department the customer belongs to (if departments are configured for the customer's institution)
Customer Institute
The institution the customer belongs to
User Permission
This is the permission group the user belongs to for this instrument. Permissions are defined at the core level but assigned at the calendar level
Price Type
The price type applied to this charge (e.g. internal, external, corporate, etc.)
Event Type
This will say reservation, unavailable (for maintenance scheduling) or cancelled (for cancelled events).
Scheduled Start
The originally scheduled start time of the event
Scheduled End
The originally scheduled end time of the event
Scheduled Hours
The originally scheduled total number of hours
Actual Start
The actual start time of the event
Actual End
The actual end time of the event
Actual Hours
The actual total number of hours
Creation Date
The date the event was created
Core Name
The name of the core where the event was created
Organization Name
The name of the organization the lab has been added to (not configured for most institutions)
Reviewed
If Peer Review Status is enabled, this column will populate with Peer-reviewed or Non peer-reviewed. If not enabled, No Status Yet will appear
Center
The center this core belongs to.
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Managing a Group

iLab — Overview of Managing a Group

Overview of Managing a Group

Roles: PIs, Lab/Group Manager

The Lab/Group interface is the central hub for PIs and Lab/Group Managers to manage the Lab/Group members, access to funding, monitor budget and modify various settings. In iLab, every user must be a member of at least one Lab/Group to be able to order services and make reservations.


Access your Lab/Group

To access your group, either hover over the "my groups" link on the left-side navigation and then select the lab from the pop-up, or click on the "my groups" link and then select the lab from the list on the next page (if you have only one group, clicking the link will take you straight there):


Navigate your Lab/Group

The functions of your group in iLab are organized  in various tabs:

For more information about the various tabs, please refer to:


Also be aware of various functions accessed from the left-hand navigation that may be helpful to you as a PI or Lab/Group Manager:

  • View Requests ‍: Filter and view all service requests placed by members of your group.
  • Invoices ‍: Review all invoices for service requests and reservations made by your group.
  • Reporting ‍: Generate reports for iLab activity of your group.



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iLab — Membership Requests & Fund Numbers

Membership Requests & Fund Numbers

Roles: PI, Lab/Group Manager

The Membership Requests & Fund Numbers tab provides tools for the PI or group manager to approve group memberships, manage access to funds and to request additional funds (if allowed by the institution).


Membership Requests & Fund Numbers Tab Layout

The layout of the Membership Requests & Fund Numbers tab is illustrated below:

  1. Membership Requests : Accept or decline users that are looking to become members of your lab. For more information see Accept Membership Requests
  2. Manage Fund Numbers : The main purpose of this interface is to assign/unassign access to funds for each of your group members (the " Fund Grid" ). It also provides various tools to create a custom selection of Funds to display, and to quickly filter the fund numbers visible by Fund or group member. Note that if configured by your institution, expired funds will be shown in red (these can no longer be used a a payment method), while funds that will expire in 30 days are marked in orange .
  3. Manually add a new Fund Number : If supported by the institution, this interface let's you request access to additional funds
  4. Manage Fund Numbers : Hide or remove funds from your lab.

Accept/Decline Membership Requests

During the registration process, certain institutions allow users to select the PI they work with. When a user selects you as their PI, you will see a membership request at the top of the page.

You can choose to 'Accept' or 'Reject' the membership request. If accepted, the user will be added to your group/lab. You will then be able to assign funding to your user.

Note that you can also manually add members to your lab, provided they already are registered with iLab, as discussed in the Members ‍ article.


Customize the Fund Grid

Groups with many different Funds may find it helpful to set up a specific selection of funds to display on the Fund Grid . To accomplish this, expand the Customize Fund number Grid by clicking on the title:

Click in the fund selection box in the middle and type (part of) of Fund name and then select it from the drop-down. It will be added to the list. Individual Funds can be removed from the list by clicking on the "X" to their left, or you can clear all funds with the "Clear All" button.  Once you have all the desired funds added, click on "Save" to save the list and only display the selected Funds in the Fund Grid .


Filter Fund Numbers and Members

To quickly view a specific fund or group member, you can use Filter Fund Number and Filter Members boxes. Type (part of) a fund number or member name in the corresponding box, and the Fund Grid will only show matching entries.


Assign Fund Numbers

Adding or removing fund numbers for each of the lab members can be done in the Manage Fund Numbers section of the tab. To assign a fund number to a user, click the check box of the fund number in the row of the user you wish to assign to. To remove a fund number, click on the check box to remove the check.


Default fund numbers can be assigned for each group member by clicking on the "Default Fund Number" column for that user. If a default fund number is assigned, this will be used for every request the member makes unless they actively select a different fund.


Manually Add a Fund Number

Some institutions allow PIs or lab managers to request access to additional funds.  This can be done in the Manually add a new Fund Number section of the tab following the instructions provided.

To add a new Fund Number, type the new number in the correct format, and click Add.

For certain institutions, adding a fund requires additional approval from the fund owner. In this case, you will receive notification once the fund has been approved.  In cases where approval is  not required, the screen will refresh and the fund number will be added to the fund grid. The fund is now available to be assigned to group members.


Manage Fund Numbers

There may be times when a valid fund number should no longer be used. Certain institutions allow for a fund number to be deleted and other institutions allow only for a fund number to be disabled. Note that only fund numbers without current charges associated with them can be hidden or deleted.

If the institution allows deleting of funds, the interface will show a red X to allow removal of the fund.

If the institution allows for disabling of funds, the interface will show a checkbox that can be deselected to hide the fund from the fund grid above.

iLab — Members

Members

Roles: PI, Lab/Group Manager

In the Members tab you can set financial auto-approval thresholds, add new users and manage current memberships to your group.


Layout of Members Tab

The layout of the Members tab is illustrated below:

  1. Lab-wide approval settings : Set the financial approval thresholds for the group altogether.
  2. Lab member and settings: Add/remove users from the group and manage their current memberships.

Set Approval Thresholds

Financial approvals are required from lab administrators when the cost of the service requests submitted by the members exceeds the auto-approval threshold (for more information see Request Services ‍). You can adjust your lab threshold in the Lab-wide Approval Settings section:

  • Default auto-approve threshold : The maximum cost of a service request that can be automatically approved. In the example above, a service request can have a price of up to $500 to receive auto-approval.
  • Cost overage buffer : The amount that a service request can go over the original agreed-upon cost before a notification is sent to the lab administrators. In the example above, a service request cost can exceed up to $100 of the initial price before requiring financial re-approval.

Manage Memberships

The Lab Members and Settings section allows you to add/remove members from the group and manage the existing memberships.

  1. Member icons :
    • Role (person icon): Hover your mouse over this icon to display the role of the user. When blue, this icon is identifying PIs and Members. The yellow version of the icon will represent Lab Managers. See also Key iLab Terms ‍.
    • Financial contact (dollar icon): ): This icon indicates that the user is also the lab financial contact and will receive all e-mail notifications requiring the lab administrator's attention. The PI or any additional Manager can still approve pending requests. It also lists the user as a financial contact for Core Staff, so they can be more easily communicated when needed.
    • Edit member (pencil icon): Allows you to edit the membership settings of any member (see item 2 below).
    • Remove member (red X icon): Remove the user from the lab. Note that this does not delete their account from the system.

  2. Edit member : When you click on the 'edit pencil' icon, you will be able to adjust:

    • Email : iLab communications for this user are sent to this e-mail address. (Changing this will not affect their e-mail used to access iLab).
    • Phone number : Contact phone number for the user.
    • Auto-approval Amount : Overrides the lab default auto-approval threshold and sets different limits per member, at your discretion.
    • Permission: This drop-down specifies the role of the lab member, i.e. Member, Manager or Principal Investigator (see Key iLab Terms ‍).
    • Can order? : This setting applies to iLab's Materials Management module and indicates that this member can order supplies. Typically, not enabled for core facility users.
    • Core Financial Contact? : Email notifications for the lab are sent to this member.
    • Start Date : The start date for the user as a member of the lab. If set to a point in the future, the user will not be associated with the lab until the start date. Used to set up lab members in advance, without giving them access until their start date. When left empty, the user will be active immediately.
    • End Date : The end date for the user as a member of the lab. After that, the user will be removed from the lab and will not be allowed to pay for services using any lab fund. When left empty, the membership will have an indefinite duration.

      Note: For expired users, outstanding charges will still follow the normal billing process. To review or reactivate expired memberships, click on the 'Show expired memberships' link (only visible when your lab has any expired memberships).
    • Save/Cancel : Use this to save or cancel any change made to their membership settings.

  3. Add new user : When enabled for your institution, create a new user and add them to your lab. Complete the fields as described above under Edit member and click 'Add'. The user will receive a welcome e-mail containing instructions and their login information.

  4. Link existing user : Add an existing iLab user to your group. Type their name in the search field, select the user from the search results, adjust their role, start and end date fields, when applicable, and click 'Invite'.

iLab — Budgets

Budgets

Roles: PI, Lab/Group Administrator

The Budgets tab provides tools for the PI or group manager to receive alerts based on a member's core-level spending. By creating a budget , you can track how much researchers in your lab have spent against each core and receive an email notification when spending approaches the budget. Note that budgets cannot be used to enforce spending limits in the system.


Create a Budget

To create a new budget, click on the "Add a new budget" button.

A new budget entry will open up:

  • For : This defines for whom you are creating the budget. You may select Spending by a member , Spending at a core , and All spending . If you select Spending by a member , the drop-down box to the right will display all members of the lab. Select the appropriate member. If you select Spending by a core , the drop-down box to the right will display all cores for which you are able to create a budget. Select the appropriate core. If you select All spending, the drop-down box to the right disappears and you can set an overall budget for your lab spending.
  • Interval Period : This defines the time period for which the budget will be created. You may select Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, or Custom.  If you select Custom, you will set a budget for a single period of time and not intervals.
  • Start Date/End Date : Defines when the budget should begin and end.
  • Budgeted $ Amount : Will define the amount budgeted per interval.
  • Budgeted $ Total: This will display the total budgeted amount across for the entire period of time defined.
  • Recent Spend: This will display a graphical representation of the proportion spent relative to the Budgeted Total (i.e. across the entire period of time)
  • Current Spend: This displays spending in the current interval
  • Alerts Active? : When you click on the Alerts Active? link, a new window displays. This window displays every financial contact within the lab. Check the box next to their name if you would like them to receive notifications when budgets are nearly met. Once you have made your selection, click save changes, then click the X to exit the window.  You can pause alerts by clicking on the pause button once administrators are set up to receive alerts.
  • Save (disk icon): Save the current budget
  • Save and clone (clipboard icon): Save this budget and create an exact copy.
  • Delete (red "X" icon) : Delete this budget

Track and Monitor Spending

Once budgets have been set, you can go back to the Budgets tab and see spending from your lab members at any time.  View the Recent Spend graph and Current Spend percentage to gauge the budget spending. Once spending gets close to a budget, a notification will be sent to users selected for Alerts.



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iLab — Group Settings

Group Settings

Roles: PI, Lab/Group Manager

The Group Settings tab of a Lab/Group is used to define general lab information, define a primary contact and set invoice preferences.


General Lab Information

Click on the "edit" link to update the lab's general information:

You will be able to edit the following information:

  • Name : Name of the lab/group
  • Objective: Define an objective for your lab/group
  • Orderable? : Used by iLab's requisitioning module.
  • Sharing options : Used by iLab's requisitioning module.

Communications Settings

You may edit the primary contact for this group by clicking on "click to edit". If there is already a contact for this group and you wish to change it, hover over the name until the red pencil displays. Then, click the pencil to open the drop down box and select a different member.


Invoice Print Preferences

Indicate whether this group prefers to receive paper copies of invoices by checking the box, then click "Save preference". This setting can be used by PIs, Group Managers and Core Staff to filter invoices, but it has no other direct impact within the system (in other words, it is up to the core to review this preference and send a physical copy if desired).




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iLab — View Requests

View Requests

Roles: PI, Lab/Group Manager

The View Request interface is accessible from the left-hand side navigation ‍. It provides a comprehensive way for PIs and Group Managers to view all requests submitted by their labs/groups. The interface can also be accessed through the iLab Troubleshooting Assistant .

The View Requests interface consists of three main panels:

  1. Status tabs : These tabs provide access to requests based on their status:

    • Awaiting Approval : Use this tab to quickly see all requests that require your approval. Click the button 'Approve' if you agree with the costs and services proposed, or 'Deny', if you disagree. View the Request Approval Workflow article for more details.
    • Require Payment Info : This tab shows only requests that are currently missing payment information. Use the dollar-icon on the right-hand side of each request to update the fund/payment Information .
    • Processing and Recently Completed : All requests that are processing normally and do not require actions are shown on this tab
    • All requests : Shows all of your requests, irrespective of status. This tab is best used in conjunction with the filters, discussed below.

  2. Filters: Click on Hide Filters / Show Filters at the top of this panel to hide/show the filter interface. Requests can be filtered based on all of the listed criteria by clicking on the desired criterion to show the list of available options, clicking the appropriate check boxes, and then choosing "Apply Filters" at the bottom of the filters panel.

    Note that only criteria options that apply to the current set of requests are available. For example, if you are on the "Awaiting Approval" tab (see above), only the criteria that apply to those requests can be selected.

    To reset all filters, click on the "Reset Filters" button at the bottom of the filters panel.

  3. Request Details : The main panel shows all of the (filtered) requests. Each request can be expanded by clicking on the triangle on the left-hand side (see View My Requests ‍ for more information).

    If there are any pending approval actions, they can be performed by clicking on the corresponding button in the Status column. The three icons on the right-hand side of each request allow you to change the Fund/Payment Information ‍ (dollar icon), add a comment (text bubbles), and perform various edit request actions ‍ (pencil with green arrow).
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iLab — Invoices

Invoices

Role: All users

The Invoices view is accessible from the left-hand side navigation ‍. It provides a comprehensive way for all users to review their invoices. Note that this interface has a number of features only available to Core Administrators and Staff, as indicated in the article.


Invoices Layout

The layout of the Invoices interface is illustrated below:

  1. Filter : The filter panel, as discussed in more detail below .
  2. Invoice list : This panel displays all (filtered) invoices .
  3. Bulk actions : Actions that can be performed on all selected invoices, as discussed in more detail below .

Apply Filters

You can filter invoices on a wide variety of other attributes using the Filters panel. If the filter panel is not visible, click on the "Show filters" link in the upper-left. To use filters, use the black arrow to the left of each category to expand the filter you would like to search on. Then, select from the available entries.

With the appropriate criteria selected, click "Apply Filters" and your refined list will display. You can also reset all filters with the "Reset Filters" button.


View Invoice Information

The main panel of the Invoices interface shows the (filtered) invoices.

  1. Invoice selection : Each invoice has a check-box at the far right that can be toggled to include/exclude it for subsequent bulk actions (see below). The very top check-box (at the height of the panel header) can be used to select/deselect all visible invoice at once.
  2. Invoice attributes : Lists various attributes of the invoice:
    • Created on : The date the invoice was created.
    • Core : The core that issued the invoices for services rendered
    • Invoice Number : The number assigned to the invoice.
    • Lab: The lab that is responsible for payment of the invoice.
    • Owner : This is the person responsible for this invoice in the lab (the Primary Contact defined in the Group Settings ‍)
    • Payment Numbers: The various funds used to pay for charges on this invoice
    • Price Types : Each service will be charged at a specific price type, depending on the nature of the customer (in some case overridden by the Core administrator).
    • Total Cost: Total amount charged on the invoice.
    • Status: The status of the invoice ( Paid or Not Yet Paid ).
    • Approval Status : Certain institutions require that the lab formally approves the invoice. In these cases, the approval status is listed in this column. Otherwise, it will show as not required .
  3. Invoice actions : Various actions that can be performed for individual invoice:
    • Notes and comments (text bubble icon): The pop-up panel lets you add and edit notes and comments. The Notes for Core panel is only visible to core staff and can be used for internal notes. The Notes panel is used for general notes visible to both core and others. The Comments panel can be used for back and forth conversation between all users who have access to the invoice.
    • E-mail (letter icon): For Core Administrators and Staff only. Send the invoice by e-mail to selected recipients, together with an optional message:
    • View invoice detail (magnifying glass icon): Open up the full invoice (as discussed further in the Invoice Detail ‍ section)
    • Mark as paid / billed (button): For Core Administrators and Staff only. Clicking "Mark as paid" will change the status of the invoice to Paid. The button will change to "Mark as billed", and clicking it again will revert the invoice to Not yet Paid .

Bulk Actions

A number of actions can be applied in bulk to all selected invoices. You may need to click the "Bulk Actions" button to display these actions if not already visible.

  • Get PDF of Invoices : Generate a PDF version of all selected invoices. These will be e-mailed to you once they have been generated.
  • Download results as CSV : Download a CSV file with the attributes of the selected invoices:
  • Email Admins with Access to Invoices : For Core Administrators and Staff only. Send a message to invoice contacts. Select which invoices to send with the "Select Invoice" check-marks, and add/remove recipient for each invoice in the "Select Contacts" column. Provide a customized subject and message, and click "Send Message & Invoice PDF" to send an e-mail to all recipient, with a PDF copy of their invoice attached.
  • Mark selected invoices as paid : For Core Administrators and Staff only. Mark all selected invoices as Paid .
  • Mark selected invoices as billed : For Core Administrators and Staff only. Mark all selected invoices as Not Yet Paid .
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iLab — Invoice Detail

Invoice Detail

Role: All users

Invoices can be accessed from various locations within the iLab system ( link on the left-hand navigation ,‍ billing tab of a Core, link e-mailed to a user). Accessing an invoice opens up an interactive view that provides details on the contents of the invoice and allows for various actions. Note that this interface has a number of features only available to Core Administrators and Staff, as indicated in the article.

  1. Invoice actions :
    • Home (house icon): Go back to your Homepage
    • PDF (pdf icon): Generate a PDF (non-interactive) version of this invoice
    • Back to Core : Core Administrators and Staff only. Go back to the core page.
    • Billing Event : Core Administrators and Staff only. Go to the billing event that this invoice is a part of.
    • Mark as paid / billed : For Core Administrators and Staff only. Clicking "Mark as paid" will change the status of the invoice to Paid. The button will change to "Mark as billed", and clicking it again will revert the invoice to Not yet Paid .
    • Hide details : Collapse all requests ("container" for line items) on the invoice detail below, hiding individual line items
    • Show details : Expand all requests ("container" for line items) on the invoice detail below, showing individual line items
    • E-mail (envelope icon): Send this invoice by e-mail to individuals who have access to this invoice (each can be selected individually).
    • Remove from billing event (red minus icon): Only available to core staff. Removes this invoice and all its charges from the billing event. The charges will go back in the pool of unbilled charges (see Overview of Billing ‍). Note that this feature is only available if the billing event has not been sent to the institution's financial system / ERP.
  2. Show additional contacts : List additional contact information related to this invoice:
  3. Cost detail : Lists the individual line items on the invoice, grouped by the request they are part of. There are two request level action available:
    • View request (magnifying glass icon): Open up a new window the underlying request at the core.
    • Change payment information (dollar icon): Change the Fund/Payment information ‍ for the request (and its component line items).
  4. Notes : Show any notes for this invoice. Core Administrators and Staff will be able to edit these notes with the pencil icon on the right.
    • For core : Notes only visible to Core Administrators and Staff
    • For customer : Notes visible to everyone with access to the invoice
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iLab — Reporting

Reporting

Roles: Principal Investigator, Core Administrator, Institutional Administrator

Most users with an administrative role in iLab system will be able to utilize the reporting functionality. Reporting allows users to generate reports on much data underlying the iLab workflow, but in all cases their access to this data is restricted to the data they have control over (e.g. a core manager can report on all data for their core, while a PI can report on all data relevant to their lab/group).


Access the Reporting Interface

The reporting interface can be accessed for all administrative users from the left-hand navigation :

This will open the Reporting Home page, where you can select the various types of reporting available to you, based on your role. Note that the reporting interface is identical for all roles, the only difference is in the data that will be included in the generated reports. From Reporting Home you can access general reporting, as well as any reports you have saved (discussed below).

As a Core Administrator , you can access core reporting directly from your Core ‍ :

As a System Administrator , you can also access institutional reporting directly from your Institutional Dashboard :


Overview of Reporting

The reporting interface consists of a number of panels. Note that certain panels are not available for all report types (e.g. Custom Forms only has a Report Setting panel).

  1. Report type : iLab provides reporting on a range of different data sets, including charges, requests, events, custom forms and time entries and requisitioning, if applicable.
  2. Open report : Load the default report or a saved report, create a new report or return to the Reporting Home interface.
  3. Report settings : Configure reporting time frames and the exhibits that show in the report.
  4. Filter data : Filter the data included in the report.
  5. View exhibits : View and manage the exhibits included in the report.
  6. Report actions : Save reports, share access, e-mail the report, export report data and print the report.

Report Types

iLab provides a range of report types:

  • Charges : report on the individual financial charges generated by core facilities, e.g. quantify, price, type, timing, etc.
  • Requests : report on data related to service requests, e.g. projected/actual cost, average completion time, etc.
  • Events : report on data related to scheduled events, e.g. scheduled/actual time, scheduled/actual cost, etc.


  • Custom Forms : download data captured in Custom Forms ‍.
  • Time Entries : report on Time Entry ‍ data
  • Requisitioning : report on data related to requisitioning

The first three report types, Charges , Request and Events , are the core of iLab reporting, and function very similarly. The key difference is the type of data that can be reported on and exported, as discussed in more detail in Reporting Field Details ‍ .

The C ustom Forms report is only available for core-level reporting and provides a mechanism to download the fields of custom forms used by that core:

Select a date range under section 1, pick a form used by this core under section 2, and click the "Download custom form source data as CSV" button to download the form fields as completed by the users of the core.  Note that currently, only the following data field types are supported for download:  small text box, large text box, date, pull-down menu, attachment (name of file only), radio buttons, check boxes, charges, tables.

The Time Entries report is another core-level report that provides reporting on Time Entry ‍ data (if enabled for the core):

  1. Keywords : find specific time-entry charges based a keyword that may appear in any of the fields associated with that charge.
  2. Filters : Select one or more filter criteria to narrow down the time-entry charges included in the report. Expand a criteria by clicking on the little arrow, and then use the check boxes to determine which specific entries to include.
  3. Apply Filters : Apply the filters selected above to the report.
  4. Reset Filters : Remove all applied filters.
  5. Download as CSV : Create a file that includes all the (filtered) time-entry charges.
  6. View charges : show all the time-entry charges based on the applied filters.

Open a Report

To access or start a report, you have four options:

  • Load default : Populate a report with default settings and exhibits.
  • Load saved : Select a previously saved report (see Report Actions ) and click "Load". Note, you can adjust the dates of a saved report to load new data points into your preferred format.
  • Build new : Clears the current report and start building a new report, using the default report as a starting point.
  • Reporting home : Go to the Reporting Home page, shown under the Access Reporting Interface .

Report Settings

Most reports require the user to specify the following settings:

  1. Select a date range : Pick a start and end date you want to use for the report. Alternatively, click on the "select a date range preset" link to open up a number of pre-configured date ranges:
  2. Select date field : For Charge and Requests reports, this field lets you select the date to used for each item in the report. For a Charge report, you can choose to show the charges by purchase date (when the charge was created), completion date (when the work the charge is associated with was marked as completed) and billing date (when the billing event the charge is included in was created). For Requests report, you can choose the Submission date (when the request was submitted) and the Completion date (when the request was marked as complete).
  3. Customize Display : This option allows you to fully customize the exhibits you want to include in the report, as discussed in more detail under Configure Exhibits .
  4. Apply settings : Click the "Run report!" button to apply the previous settings and generate/update the report. This will show any applicable panels that were not yet visible.

Configure Exhibits

Each exhibit in the report can be fully configured, and exhibits can be easily added and deleted. Note that to change an existing exhibit, you need to first click on the pencil icon in column 9:

  1. Move exhibit : The green arrows can be dragged up and down to change the order of the exhibits in the report.
  2. Chart type : You can choose from a number of typical chart types: stacked bar, line, stacked line, pie, data table.
  3. Group by : The first grouping applied to the data in the exhibit. For example, select lab to first group charges or requests by the requesting lab.
  4. Value to report on : Choose the value to show in the report. The options available here are based on the report type, as discussed in more detail in Report Types .
  5. Display data by : Choose the time frame you would like to use to consolidate data into (e.g. week, month, quarter, day of week, hour).
  6. Also group by : Apply a second grouping to the data (incremental to item 3). This will create a sub-panel for the second grouping, up to a maximum of 10.
  7. No-charge as $0 : When set to "yes", non-billable and pro-bono charges will be included at $0. Also, no-charge events will be considered to have a price of $0 when calculating scheduled cost. When set to "no", reported totals will include the full value of costs and services provided, even if the customer was not billed for them.
  8. Convert pie to bar if any values are negative : Only applies to bar charts. When checked, any pie chart with negative value will be converted to a bar chat (so negative values can be shown). When not checked, any negative slices will be excluded.
  9. Edit exhibit : Click the pencil icon to make edits to the selected exhibit (drop-down options appear in each column that allow the user to change the settings).
  10. Delete : Delete the selected exhibit (note: you will NOT be prompted for confirmation)
  11. Add a new chart or table : Adds a new exhibit at the bottom the the exhibit list (can be moved as discussed under item 1)
  12. Apply : Once you have made any changes to the exhibit you MUST click the Apply button to effect any changes.
  13. Close and cancel all changes : click this link to close the panel and cancel any changes.

Filter Report Data

The data in most reports can be filtered down to very specific criteria. As an example, the filters for a Charges report are shown below:

Select one or more filter criteria to narrow down the data included in the report. Expand a criteria by clicking on the little arrow, and then use the check boxes to determine which specific entries to include. For more information on the fields available for each report type, see Reporting Field Details ‍ .

Once done configuring the filter, click "Apply Filters". To remove all filters, click "Reset Filters".


View Report Exhibits

The main Exhibit panel shows all the exhibits in the report. An exhibit might look like:

Hover over each exhibit to show a small panel in the upper-left corner with the option to edit the exhibit (this brings up the panel discussed under Configure Exhibits ) or to delete it (red X icon). You can also move the mouse over the exhibit to get more detailed information about specific data points.


Report Actions

You have a range of options to further manage the current report and its underlying data:

  • Save : Save this report within iLab, so it can be easily recalled later and be shared with other iLab users. When prompted, provide a name, click "Save", and the report will be saved under the appropriate category. You can also select an existing report to overwrite. To load this same report in the future, you would click on 'Load Saved'.
  • Share : Once a report has been saved, it can be shared with other who also have access to the underlying data. For example, for a core-level report, you might share the report with the other core managers, or with the core's institutional administrators:
  • Email : The e-mail option let's you send a copy of the report by e-mail. You can select the recipients and Subject, and also indicate what information to include as an attachment (a PDF version of the report, the underlying source data and/or the data from the individual exhibits as XLS or CSV files). You can customize the message and indicate if you would like a copy sent to yourself.
  • Export : The export option let you download report data in various formats. You can download the charts and tables as a PDF file or you can download the data shown in the various exhibits as either XLS or CSV files. You can also download all of the source data (not just what is shown in the exhibits) in the report date range to a CSV file. This option is typically the most useful for those who are comfortable analyzing full data sets in other applications (e.g. Excel). See Reporting Field Details ‍  for more information about which fields are included in which report.
  • Print preview : This option opens up the report in a view that only shows the exhibits, for easy printing directly from your browser.

iLab — Bulletin Board

Bulletin Board

Roles: PI, Lab/Group Manager, Lab/Group Member

The Bulletin Board can be used to communicate with members of your lab. You can post comments on the bulletin board within your lab, or send messages to other groups.


Post a Comment

To post a comment that will be visible to all lab members, click "new comment", add text and click "Send". You will then need to refresh your browser to see the new comment listed on the bulletin board.


Send a message

To send a message to other people, projects or labs, click on the "new message" link. Begin typing the name of the recipient in the field and select the correct entry, complete the message and click "Send".

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iLab Support

Using a Core

iLab — Overview of Using a Core

Overview of Using a Core

Role: Core Customers

As a Core Customer, you can use iLab to visit the storefront for Core Facilities and directly request services or reserve resources. Typically, you will already have the link for the Core you would like to visit, but you can also browse all Cores available through iLab by using the List All Cores ‍ link on the left navigation.

If you can't see a list of Cores at other institutions, use the iLab Troubleshooting Assistant to access the other cores page.

A typical core in iLab looks similar to this:

Each Core is organized into a number of tabs. Note that these tabs may be renamed by the core staff, so that the actual names may vary from core to core. The most common sections are:

Certain cores have more specialized sections, including:

  • Studies: Perform work that is part of a research study
  • Order Products: Directly order products stocked by the core, shopping cart style
  • Animal Acquisition: Place requests related to animal models





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iLab — Payment Methods

Payment Methods

Role: Core Customers

As a user of iLab services, you have several options for payment. Each institution will decide which forms of payment they will accept, and by which customers they will accept those payments. All payment options will be described here, but please be aware that your institution may not support all these payment forms.


Internal Funds

If you are using a core at your own organization, the Fund Number drop down (or whichever name is used within your organization for payment sources) will contain all Funds assigned to you by your PI or Lab/Group manager.

Simply select a Fund from the ones listed. If no Funds are available, you should contact your PI or Lab/Group manager to assign you one or more Funds. They can find more information on how to assign Funds in the Membership Requests & Fund Numbers Tab ‍ section. If a fund is shown in orange , this means that it is within 30 days of its expiration date (if this is set by your institution).

Note that for select institutions, Funds can be entered in a free-text format, rather than be picked from an assigned list. In this case, no lab-level assignment of funds is required.


Split Charges

Some institutions allow you to split payment between different funds. If this is the case, you will see a "Split Charge" button that can be used to add additional rows of payment information. Use the % column to determine the allocation of the costs across the Funds. Note that the percentages need to add up to exactly 100% before the payment information can be saved.


PO Number

If you are a customer visiting a core from another institution, you will typically pay using a Purchase Order. In it's simplest form, the core will only require you to enter the corresponding PO number:

Cores may also have configured a more robust workflow for customers using Purchase Orders, where formal approval is required before a PO can be used as a valid payment method. This is discussed in more detail in the Standing Purchase Orders section below.


Standing Purchase Orders

If a core requires a formally approved (standing) Purchase Order, you will be required to first create a new PO in iLab using the "Add new PO" link:

This will open up the Add New Purchase Order interface:

Complete all the the fields on the Purchase Order Details tab. In the Core field, you can either select a specific core, or you can choose the All cores this institution option to allow this PO to be used at all cores. Note: Once saved, the PO cannot be updated to include additional facilities. In the attachments field, you may need to upload documentation that can be used by the core or the institutional approver to verify the PO (if required by the institution).

On the Share with Other Group Members tab, you can indicate if this PO can also be used by other members in your Lab/Group:

Once you have completed both tabs, click on "Save" to proceed.

If you now select the Standing PO drop-down, you will see the newly created PO listed, but with an (Unapproved) status behind it.

The PO will now be routed to the core or an institutional administrator, and once approved, you can return to the payment option and select it as a valid payment method:


Subsidies

In some cases, subsidies are available to help pay for the cost of core services. If this is the case, they will be automatically applied by the core,and you will see the amount of subsidies under the total costs:

When you later review the payment information, you will see the subsidy listed as a separate line item:


Center Assigned Funds

In some cases, financial support for resources are made available through centralized Centers . The centers will make available special funds, that are assigned to specific Labs/Groups for use with specific cores. If such Center Assigned Funds are available to you, they will be show up as an alternative payment option. Please note: Center Fund is configurable and may be renamed by the institution.

Once you have select the Center Fund option, you will be able to pick the specific Center Assigned Fund you want to use:


Advanced Payment Options

Institutions may allow several additional payment options, including wire transfer, check and credit card. If these options are available, they will be listed in the payment drop-down:

Depending on the selected payment option, you may be asked to complete an additional field with related information (e.g. check number, wire transfer confirmation number, etc.)


iLab — About Our Core Tab

About Our Core Tab

Role: All users

The first tab, typically labeled About Our Core , provides general information about that facility.

Each Core determines what content they wish to include on this tab, so the exact layout and information may vary to reflect relevant information for a particular core. An external version of this page is accessible before you log into your iLab account. You can click on the 'Sign In ' or 'Register' buttons to start using the site.

This is how a typical About our Core page looks like:

Other information that can be provided on the About our Core page include:

  • A general facility overview.
  • News and announcements.
  • Usage requirements or rules.
  • Location, maps and hours of service.
  • Staff contact information for inquiries.
  • Links to relevant websites or other resources.
  • Additional content, as determined by the facility.




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iLab — Schedule Equipment

Schedule Equipment

Roles: Core Customers, Core Administrators & Staff

The Schedule Equipment ‍ tab is where Core Customers can review the schedules of a core's resources and make reservations. Note: this tab may be named differently for each specific core.  If your core uses the iLab Kiosk, please see Using Kiosk ‍ for more information on starting sessions.


Layout of Schedule Equipment tab

The layout of the Schedule Equipment tab is shown below:

  1. Resource header : The header shows the name of the resource. Clicking on the name will open the Schedule (same effect as clicking the "View Schedule" button"). To the right of the title are two additional links:
    • description : toggle open/closed a more detailed description of the resource (may be open by default)
    • pricing : toggle open/closed information about the pricing for this resource
  2. View schedule : click on this button to open up to view the schedule for this resource and to make reservations .
  3. Favorite : click on the heart icon to mark this resource as a favorite , for easy reference later

View the Calendar

Access the calendar by clicking on the resource name or the "View Schedule" button.

The schedule then opens up, as illustrated below.

  1. Core Name: Click this hyperlink to return to the main Schedule Equipment tab for the core.
  2. Add to Favorites: Click the heart icon to add this calendar to your favorite list. Favorites can be viewed in the My Reservations tab on the left hand menu. For more information, see Managing Favorites .‍
  3. Resource Description : Click to view a description of the equipment.
  4. Schedule Banner: Announcements regarding the equipment will be displayed in this section, if there are no announcements the sections will not be present.
  5. Time Frame: Select the time frame or view in which you would like the schedule to be shown in (Day, Week, Month, or Multi View). Multi View shows a single-day view that lists all the separate instances of a resource (e.g. if a core has multiple physical instance of the same equipment, they may show them all on a single schedule and allow the user to pick a specific instance when they make a reservation )
  6. Calendar: Click the calendar to navigate to a specific date.
  7. Export to PDF: Click the printer icon to export the schedule to a PDF.
  8. Forward/Backward : move forward (">") or backward ("<") in time, in steps equal to the chosen time frame.
  9. Linked Calendar: Click the button to show other relevant schedules.
  10. Calendar Details: Open up a popup with additional information on avaliabilities, pricing and event color codes.
    • Green Events : Your future reservations
    • Blue Events : Your past reservations
    • Red Events : If the equipment is unavailable for selected amount of time
    • Orange Events : In some cases, cores require core approval for reservations. If you have reserved time on the calendar that requires core approval, that event will be in orange. When the reservation has been approved you may receive an email and you will see the event turn to purple.
    • Grey: Reservations made by others.
    • White: Reservations that have been cancelled or are no shows.
  11. Schedule : shows all reservations on the schedule for the currently selected resource. See the section above, Calendar Details, for an explanation of the colors. Drag and drop in this area to make a reservation .

If your schedule shows an additional set of filters at the very top of the calendar, refer to the section on configurable reservations .


Create a Reservation

To schedule an event on the calendar, click and drag on the day and time of the intended usage. If you are a member of multiple Labs/Groups, you will first be asked to select the Lab/Group this reservation will be made under. Then, complete the reservation details:

  1. General: The first tab that will open contains the important information that will need to be completed to create your reservation.
  2. Comments: The second tab contains all comments that have been added to the reservation by you and/or the core. Additional comments can be added by clicking the Add Comment button. To view the activity that has taken place on the reservation, click on the Activity tab.
  3. Contacts: This tab contains information about the group that the reservation has been made under. To view the information click on the name of the group, Billing info, or Shipping Info. If the group/lab needs to be changed click on the change lab link. Note if the change lab link is not present or has a line through it the group/lab cannot be changed for the reservation.
  4. Reservation details: Verify key information about the reservation, such as the specific resource, the lab and when it was created. If there are multiple instances of a resource (e.g. if a core has multiple physical instance of the same equipment), you will be able to pick the specific instance in the "Specify the required resource" drop-down. You can also leave a note in the reservation, and indicate if it is visible to all users, or only the core staff. The check box next to the Event Notes will allow to choose if you would like your notes to show on the charge line and be displayed on the invoice.
  5. Collaborators : In this section you have the ability to add collaborators to the reservation. Collaborators are able to view, edit, and start the reservation, excluding the ability to edit payment information. Note: The Collaborators may not be available based on the equipment's permission levels.
  6. Times : Verify that the times of the reservation are correct. If you want to make any changes, click on the pencil icon, update the information, and then click the green check mark icon.
  7. Required forms : If the resource requires you to complete any forms, the will be listed in this panel on the right.  Complete the fields, at a minimum the required fields marked with a red star (or the reservation cannot be saved)
  8. Reserve time on a linked schedule: If there is another piece of equipment or schedule that needs to be reserved in addition to the current one, it may show as a linked schedule. Click the check box to view and reserve a linked schedule. Refer to Reserve multiple resources at once for more information.
  9. Repeating event : If this option is available you have the ability to create a recurring reservation over a period of time.

  1. Use and cost of reservation: Verify the usage type (e.g. assisted or unassisted) and the cost of the reservation. Note that the cost may depend on the selected usage type.
  2. Additional charges for this event: If you need additional services added to the reservation, click on the Add additional service charges button. This will display all the services the core allows to be added to the reservation. Note this section may not be available based on core settings.
  3. Payment information : Select your payment method .
  4. Service Project: If you have an ongoing project that is related to this reservation you may see this option to link a service project to the reservation. The service project does have to be under your name and in Processing status. Note this section may not be available based on core settings.
  5. Invite additional people to this event by email: If you would like to invite others, enter their email address to forward an invite to them.
  6. Save Reservation/ Cancel Changes: Click Save Reservation to save the reservation as currently configured. Click Cancel Changes to go back to the equipment schedule without saving any changes.
  7. Delete Reservation: Click Delete Reservation if you would like to completely remove this reservation from the schedule.

Note

Delete or Cancel Reservation, if these options are available, the reservation will be removed and release the reserved time. For more information on deleting/cancelling reservations, see below .


Change a Reservation

Users can update the reservation, within certain constraints set by the core. For example, if the core requires approval of reservations, they cannot be changed after they have been confirmed. Also, a core may have configured limits to how close to the reserved time slot the reservation can be changed or deleted.

To change a reservation, first find it on the calendar:

To make changes, you have a few options:

  1. Click on the reservation to bring up the edit mini-menu to the left. Then, click on the bottom event icon to open up the reservation detail window, as discussed in the Create a Reservation section.
  2. Drag the top of the reservation (title with reservation times) to move the entire reservation to another time slot (either on the same or or even another day)
  3. Double-click on the reservation to open up the reservation detail window, as discussed in the Create a Reservation section.
  4. Drag the bottom of the reservation (white handle bar) up or down to extend/reduce the length of the reservation. Note that you can only change the end time by dragging in this way.
  5. View additional reservation information by hovering over the reservation.

Delete/Cancel a Reservation

Depending on the time remaining to the reservation, one of two option may be available (if allowed by the core):

  • Delete reservation : If this option is available, it will completely delete the reservation and release the reserved time. This can typically only be done up to a maximum number of hours before the start of the reservations as determined by the core. If you try to remove the reservation closer than this specific time, the option would change to "cancel reservation" (see below).
  • Cancel reservation : If this option is available, it will cancel the reservation and release the time slot for other users. However, if the core has enabled cancellation fees, you will need to accept the charge before the cancellation can be completed:

Create a Repeating Reservation

When reserving a resource, some cores may allow you to establish a repeating reservation over a period of time. If this is the case, the reservation form will show a Repeating event section. I f you would like to create a repeating reservation, click on the Enabled box under the Repeating event section. This will expand the section and allow you to choose your schedule.



Reserve Multiple Resources At Once

For certain schedules, a core may have configured linked resources that can be automatically reserved at the same time. If this option is available, the reservation form will show a Reserve time on a linked schedule section. This will expand the section and allow you to select additional resources. The current reservation will also be applied to the linked resource.

In the case above, Dissecting Microscope M125 is a required resource, and is therefore automatically selected for the reservations. You may choose to also reserve any of the others listed here by clicking on the checkbox beside the resource name.

iLab — Using Kiosk

Using Kiosk

Role: Core Customers

The iLab kiosk is an advanced module that allows a facility to track users' time on instruments. This interface allows users to use their credentials to login and start an existing reservation or to create a walk up reservation on an open instrument (if the core allows for walk up reservations). In conjunction with interlock usage, a user will be required to login through the kiosk in order to gain access to the instrument.


Access the Kiosk Interface

When looking at the kiosk dashboard, users have the ability to see any active session as well as the login screen. Typically, the core sets up a central computer within the facility where they have the Kiosk dashboard displayed to allow for easy access and logging in.

Enter your credentials and click Login. If an institution utilizes an active directory integration, the dashboard will reflect this and allow for you to login with institution credentials.

It is possible to login to the kiosk using any browser if you have the direct URL. The URL can be found on the Schedule Equipment page of the core and clicking on the 'Go to Kiosk' button.


View your Reservations

Once logged in, the kiosk dashboard will display and default to an overview of your current reservations:

  1. Refresh Sessions : This button refreshes the display without needing to refresh your browser.
  2. Time scale : By default, all your reservation(s) from between 6 hours in the past through 6 hours in the future are shown. You can drag the end-points of the time scale bar to narrow down the time frame.
  3. Filter : You can filter which reservations are shown by entering parts of the name of the pieces of equipment.
  4. Reservations panel : This panel lists all of your reservations. If you have selected a filter, only filtered reservations will show.
  5. My reservations : This link, always available under the right-hand profile menu, will bring you back to this reservation display.

Start a Scheduled Session

If you have previously scheduled a reservation, and that reservation is within allowable advance start times, a green "Start" button will display in the Action column for that reservation. You will be unable to start a reservation early if another user is using the instrument.

To begin the session, click this "Start" button. The kiosk will begin the session and display the elapsed time on screen. If the kiosk is configured to work with iLab software or hardware interlock, starting the session will power on devices related to the resource (typically a monitor used to control the equipment) or unlock an application needed to control the equipment. In either case, the session interface will display:


  1. Elapsed time : The running clock shows the time the resources has been used in this session so far
  2. Finish : End the session. If hardware or software interlock are set up, control devices will powered off or applications to control the equipment will be locked down.
  3. Extend : If allowed, you can add time to the current session with this option. Pick the additional length of time and click the "Extend" button.
  4. Log out and use equipment : Specifically for centrally located kiosks, you will want to log out of the kiosk so that other users cannot modify your session. Once you are done, you will return to the kiosk, log back in and finish your session.
  5. Payment information : Select or modify your payment information ‍ here.
  6. Add-On Charges: Users have the ability to adjust the quantity of any charges that have been added to the reservation. They can also use the blue button 'Add charge' to add additional available services to this reservation. Be sure to click 'Save'.
  7. Use and cost of reservation: Select the appropriate usage type and here and verify the associated costs.
  8. Notes: Users have the ability to add notes here that will reflect in the notes section in the reservation details on the main calendar. These notes default to be visible by anyone.
  9. Save information : save all information for this session

Create a Walkup Session

If allowed by the core, the kiosk interface can also be used to create a walkup session that starts immediately. To do so, click on the button that says 'Start Walkup Session' in the left hand side of the screen. You will then see a list of resources available for creating a walkup session. Choose a specific resource in the Equipment panel.

  1. Equipment : Select the equipment that you want to create a session on. Equipment with a green check mark is currently available for a session. For equipment with multiple instances (e.g. multiple physical instances of the same machine), a little arrow will display. Clicking on this resource will show a popup with the individual instances listed, together with an option to "View all" instances.
  2. Schedule : The middle panel will display the schedule for the selected equipment (or instances of the selected equipment). If multiple instances are selected, one column will be displayed for each (with the instance name shown at the top).
  3. Create session : Start a new session. A pop-up will ask the planned length of the session. Click "Create Session" to immediately start a session. This will open up the Active Session display discussed above .
  4. My reservations : Click this link, available under the right-hand profile menu, to bring you back to the reservation display
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iLab — My Reservations

My Reservations

Role: All users

The "My Reservations" interface can be accessed from the left-hand side of the overall navigation ‍, providing an overview of current, future and past reservations. Note that it is only available if you have already made reservations with a Core.

  1. Hamburger Icon: Clicking on this icon, opens up the left hand menu.
  2. Overview of reservations: The main section of the My Reservations interface lists your reservations organized by reservations for today, future reservations and past reservations.
  3. Favorites : From here you can view and directly access any resources that you have marked as a favorite .
  4. Recently used : From here you can view and directly access any resources you have used recently.


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iLab — Managing Favorite Resources

Managing Favorite Resources

Role: All users

When you are working in iLab, you may bookmark frequently-used resources for easy access.


Create a Favorite Resource

In the Schedule Equipment tab, click on the resource you wish to make a favorite. Then, simply click on the pink heart to the right. The heart will turn red.

You may also create a favorite from within the resource calendar by clicking the heart.


Use Favorite Resources

Once you have designated the resource as a favorite, you need only click on the Favorites link within resources to access your favorites.

You may also access your favorites resources across cores from the My Reservations ‍ interface:



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iLab — Request Services

Request Services

Role: Core Customers

The Request Services ‍ tab is where Core Customers can see the services a core provides, and where they can initiate service requests. Note: this tab may be named differently for each specific core.


Layout of Request Services tab

The layout of the Request Services tab is illustrated below:

  1. Service requests panel: Note: this section may be named differently by the core. The main panel of the Request Services tab . Click on this header to open/close the panel (use this if you are not seeing any service request listed).
  2. General information : The core may include general information and instructions related to their service requests here.
  3. Service request titles and descriptions: All of the available Service Requests are listed here
  4. Initiate request: click the "Request service" button to initiate a request . Note: Core administrators see this button as 'Initiate Request'.
  5. Service list panel : Note: this section may be named differently by the core. If available (not all cores show this section), this panel lists the individual services that the core provides. It can be viewed as a price list of the various components that go into pricing a larger service request. In select cases, the core will allow Customers to directly order individual service items. Clicking on this header opens/closes the whole section below.
  6. Search available services : Enter (part of) a service and click the blue triangle to narrow down the list below to only items that match the search term.
  7. View by category / alphabetically: The first link shows the service items grouped by their category (default). The second link will show an alphabetical list of all items.
  8. Category header : Click on a category header (if services are categorized) to open/close the list below of all services that are part of that category.
  9. Price : This information may not be made available by each core. If available, you will see the price for the service items.

Note

If you are using a Product Core there may be additional information present.


Initiate a Service Request

As discussed above, initiate a service request by clicking on the "request service" button of the appropriate request. This will open up the Service Request interface which contains several sections with important information and fields that need to be completed before submission to the core.

  1. Basic Workflow: Outlines the request approval workflow. You can hover over each step for additional information.
  2. Service Request ID and Customer Information: The service request ID is the identifier for your specific request. The customer information is your specific information captured from your account.

  1. Forms and Request Details: This section will contain any forms that need to be completed as part of the service requests, as discussed in more detail below .
  2. Costs : this section is for core use only, and may reflect an initial cost estimate for the service request, or it may be empty and get updated by the core after submission.
  3. Payment information : Here you select the payment information to be applied to this request, as discussed in more detail here .
  4. Action Buttons: Once you have completed these sections, click one of the buttons at the bottom of the interface to proceed:
    • Submit request to core : Submit the request for the core to review. See Approval Workflows ‍ for more information on the approvals needed before work can begin.
    • Save draft request : Close the Service Request interface and save the current request as draft. It can be revisited and completed from the View My Requests tab ‍.
    • Cancel : Cancel the request. All completed information will be lost.

Note that if you (accidentally) refresh your browser while completing a service request, it will be saved as draft and can be found on the View My Requests tab ‍.


Complete Forms

As discussed above, a service request may require one or more form to be completed before it can be successfully submitted. Forms have the following structure:

  1. Form title bar : The first section of a form show the "View form" label and the name of the form. Clicking anywhere in this area toggles to form open/closed.
  2. Form status and action : To the far right of the form title bar are the following fields/icons:
    • Status name : Indicates if the form is Not started , In Progress or Completed (i.e. ready for submission). You can manually change this status, though changing it to Completed requires that all required fields have been completed.
    • Print : Send a copy of the form to the printer. You can select which fields should be included before printing.
    • E-mail : Send a PDF copy of the filled-out form to your e-mail account.
    • Status icon : The check-mark icon changes from grey to green once the form is completed.
  3. Form field : The various input fields of the form. Fields with a red star are required fields (i.e. the form cannot be completed until these are filled out).
  4. Save Progress : Save all the information entered into the fields without changing the overall form status.
  5. Save Form : Save the form, either with the Completed status or the In Progress status. The form will then be toggled closed (and can be opened again by clicking on the form title bar).

Enter Payment Information

The final section of the Service Request interface ask for the payment information to be used for the request.

If you are using a core at your own organization, the Fund Number can be entered manually or in the case of a financial integration from a drop down that will contain all Funds assigned to you by your PI or Lab/Group manager. If no Funds are available, you should contact your PI or Lab/Group manager to assign you one or more Funds .

If you are using a core at another organization, you will typically enter a PO number or other payment method in this field (e.g. wire transfer, credit card, etc.).  Available options are determined by the core.

The text field below the fund selection optionally let's you add any notes for the core.

For more information, please see the article on Payment Methods ‍.


Request Approval Workflow

Once the request is successfully submitted by the Customer, it will follow the below approval workflow:

After the customer submits the request, the Core typically review it and put together a quote (proposal with scope of work and estimated cost). The quote is sent back to the Customer (notified by e-mail), who then agrees to the quote (or declines). Note that the quote generation and approval steps may be bypassed if the cost of the work is know at submission (or if there is no charge). After this step, the request needs to be approved by the Financial Approver. This is typically the Customer's PI or Lab/Group Manager, though in certain cases this responsibility is delegated to a Departmental Administrator. Only once the financial approval has been granted can the core start the work in iLab.

Once the Service Request has been submitted, the Customer can check on the status on the View My Requests ‍ tab.

iLab — Collaboration on Requests and Reservations

Collaboration on Requests and Reservations

Role: Core Customers

The collaboration feature allows you to share your requests and reservations with fellow researchers for work purposes and will allow the collaborators to edit the shared request or reservation, start reservations, and add additional charges and services when permitted. Collaborators will not be able to change the payment information.

Note

If you do not see the Collaborators section, this feature is not in use by the core facility you are submitting work to.


Share a Request or Reservation

Add Individual Collaborators

In the Collaborators section there will be a search field where you can type in the name of the researcher you are working with and the results will populate in a drop down below. If you have added collaborators on previous work, their names will be display in the drop down once you click in the search field.

The Collaborators section will be displayed in the top right section of the reservation details.

Once you click on a name from the drop down list they will be added as a collaborator.

The collaborator will receive an email notifying them of the request or reservation they have been added to. If you do not want to receive an email when you are added as a collaborator you can manage your notification through the My Profile interface.

Add an Entire Group as Collaborators

When initiating a request or reservation there may be an option under the collaborators section to Add an entire group of collaborators . This will include everyone in the group/lab as a collaborator. If you do not see this option it is either not allowed by the core or is disabled if you are a member of more than seven labs.

When the group name is clicked on it will be added to the list of collaborators and all the members will be able to access the request or reservation.

If a user is removed from a group/lab they will loose access as a collaborator on the request or reservation the entire group has been added to.

Edit Collaborators

If you need to remove a collaborator you can do so by clicking the x in their name block.

This will immediately remove their access as a collaborator on the request or reservation. You can remove or add collaborators to requests or reservations at any time.


Collaborator Restrictions

Access Request Required

When searching for collaborators on a request there might be times you encounter that a name is listed in orange, this means that the user does not currently have access to the core facility.

A user in orange can be added to the request or reservation but will not be able to view or edit it until they are granted access to the core facility. An access request will automatically be created on the user's behalf for the core staff to approve.

Equipment Permission Level

When searching for collaborators on a reservation there could be times that you encounter that specific users are greyed out and not selectable. This indicates the users greyed out are not assigned the needed permission level for the equipment. The user will need to contact the core facility to ensure they have completed any required training for the equipment and then are assigned the correct permission level by the core staff before they can be added as a collaborator.

Once the user is assigned the needed permission level for the equipment schedule their name will be in black and selectable from the drop down list.


View Shared Requests and Reservations

When on the View My Requests tab you will be able to identify requests with collaborators quickly as they will display the collaborator icon. Requests you are listed as a collaborator on will also show on your View My Requests tab.

If you hover over the collaborator icon or toggle open the request you will be able to view everyone listed as a collaborator.

Reservations with collaborators will also display the collaborator icon when viewing a schedule .

If you hover over the collaborator icon or open the reservation details you will be able to view all the collaborators on the reservation. Reservations that you are added as a collaborator on will show up on you My Reservations interface.

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iLab — View My Requests

View My Requests

Role: Core Customers

The View My Requests ‍ tab is where Core Customers can review the service requests they have submitted with a core.

A complete list of Service Requests can also be found in the 'View Requests' dashboard. Use the iLab Troubleshooting Assistant if you are having difficulties to find a service request submitted by your or your lab peers.


Layout of View My Requests tab

The layout of the View My Requests tab is illustrated below:

  1. Filters : The filters panel, as discussed further below , is a way to refine your list of requests.
  2. Request list : This panel displays all (filtered) service requests
  3. Custom filter tab : A tab created using filter criteria, as discussed in the Create a custom filter section
  4. Status filter : Provides access to a range of filters based on the status of the request, as discussed further below
  5. Reload Active Requests : Update the list of service requests (without having to refresh your browser)

View Requests by Status

You may use filters to refine which service requests are visible. Click on the status filter drop-down (which default to showing active requests ) to pick a status:


Apply Filters

You can filter requests on a wide variety of other attributes using the Filters panel. If the filter panel is not visible, click on the "Show filters" link in the upper-left. To use filters, use the black arrow to the left of each category to expand the filter you would like to search on. Then, select from the available entries.

With the appropriate criteria selected, click "Apply Filters" and your refined list will display. You can also reset all filters with the "Reset Filters" button.


Create a Custom Tab from a Filter

For filters you use regularly, you may create a custom tab for this filter by clicking the "Create Tab from Filters" button.

This will prompt you to choose a name and optionally a description. The new tab will display next to the active requests tab.


Export Requests to a CSV File

Finally, you may download these search results into a .csv by clicking the "Download Results as CSV" button.

This will generate a csv file with the following format:


View Request Details

The main panel of the View My Requests tab shows the selected service requests. Each request can be expanded by clicking on the blue triangle to the far left. Within a request, a number of sub-panels can again by opened/closed by clicking on their headers. With most sections expanded, a request looks as follows:

  1. Request summary : The top section of a request provides an overall summary, listing the request date, requester, service request ID,  status (see below), estimated cost and various request actions (see below).
  2. Request status and approvals : This columns shows the current status of the overall request, and below it are any applicable workflow action buttons (in this case, the requester need to "Agree" or "Disagree" to the request as proposed by the core). Refer to Statuses of Requests ‍ for more information.
  3. Fund/Payment information : Click the dollar icon to change the Fund/Payment information ‍.
  4. Add comment : Click the text bubbles icon to add a comment to the request ‍.
  5. Edit request actions : Inspect and edit the service request with various Edit Request Actions ‍.
  6. Overview : Additional detail about the service request
  7. Payment information : Detail about the payment method used for this request. Clicking the "update payment information" on the right-hand side has the same effect as clicking on the dollar icon in the request summary and let's you change the Fund/Payment information ‍.
  8. Form and request details : The rows of this panel may contain:
    • Forms : A red row indicates a form that still has required fields to be completed, while a yellow row indicates a form that has has been saved as completed. For more information on completing form see Request Services ‍.
    • Milestones : A blue row represents a milestone in the service request. Milestones are used by the core to organize the work and track overall progress.
    • Charges : Individual charges are listed with a clear background. The dollar icon on the far right can be use to change the Fund/Payment method ‍ for an individual charge.
  9. Comments : This section shows any comments that have been added to the service request. Click the "add comment" link on the right to add a new comment ‍.
  10. Service request history : Shows a list of the key updates and status changes that have been applied to the service request
  11. Billing information : List the billing information applicable to this service request. The "edit" link on the right can be used to update information
  12. Attachments and URL : This panel lists all attachments and URL associated with this service request. Use the "add attachment" and "add URL" to add additional file and links, respectively.
  13. Shipping information : List the shipping information applicable to this service request. The "edit" link on the right can be used to update information
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iLab — Cancellation Notifications

Cancellation Notifications

Role: Core Customers

The Cancellation Notifications feature enables Core Customers to receive email notifications when other Core Customers cancel scheduled reservations on selected calendars within the next thirty days.

This feature provides an opportunity for Core Customers with appropriate access to potentially book an available time slot.

However, it's important to note that this feature does not guarantee availability for all Core Customers, and Cancellation Notifications may not be available on all calendars.

The setting for Cancellation Notifications is enabled/disabled by the Core Administrator when following the instructions provided on the Enabling Cancellation Notifications page.


Subscribing for Cancellation Notifications

Core Customers must toggle the switch for this setting on each calendar's View Schedule interface to enable Cancellation Notifications. By turning it on, they will subscribe to email alerts when other Core Customers cancel their scheduled reservations.

A user remains subscribed until they turn off the Cancellation Notification toggle.


Notifications via Email

When a reservation is canceled, Core Customers who have enabled Cancellation Notifications for a specific calendar will receive email notifications at their iLab email address. This makes it convenient for Core Customers to view and potentially book the available time slot.

The email notification includes:

  1. The name of the calendar;
  2. The canceled reservation time;
  3. And a quick access link to the calendar;

These notifications allow Core Customers with the appropriate access, such as Training/Permissions, Access, Approvals, etc., to take advantage of the newly available time slot.

It's worth noting that other Core Customers also receive Cancellation Notifications, and there is a possibility that another customer in a busy core facility may claim the available time slot.

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iLab — iLab API

iLab API

Learn how to interact with iLab using its easy-to-integrate API. Get up and running quickly and make use of the powerful features and functions available.

Agilent has an application programming interface (API) which enables customers to seamlessly integrate outside applications with iLab’s billing and reporting modules.


To get started with the iLab API, you will need:

A client ID: a public identifier for apps

An API token: a unique identifier of an application requesting access to your service


Client ID and API token

Follow these steps to obtain your first sets of client ID and tokens:

  1. Log into your account and go to the Core page
  2. Click on Administration tab > API Clients panel
  3. Enter a name and click on Add New button
  4. Click on ‘green arrow’ icon
  5. Check all options and click on Grant Token button
  6. Reload the Administration tab and click on API Clients panel
  7. Click on ‘1 Token’ link
  8. Click on the date field to edit the expiration date, and select a date, ideally 5 years from now


For further instructions and detailed information please download our most recent API user documentation iLab API HelpSite Documentation

For additional API support : Click the Help link in iLab or email ilab-support@agilent.com

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iLab — iLab API

iLab API

Learn how to interact with iLab using its easy-to-integrate API. Get up and running quickly and make use of the powerful features and functions available.

Agilent has an application programming interface (API) which enables customers to seamlessly integrate outside applications with iLab’s billing and reporting modules.


To get started with the iLab API, you will need:

A client ID: a public identifier for apps

An API token: a unique identifier of an application requesting access to your service


Client ID and API token

Follow these steps to obtain your first sets of client ID and tokens:

  1. Log into your account and go to the Core page
  2. Click on Administration tab > API Clients panel
  3. Enter a name and click on Add New button
  4. Click on ‘green arrow’ icon
  5. Check all options and click on Grant Token button
  6. Reload the Administration tab and click on API Clients panel
  7. Click on ‘1 Token’ link
  8. Click on the date field to edit the expiration date, and select a date, ideally 5 years from now


For further instructions and detailed information please download our most recent API user documentation iLab API HelpSite Documentation

For additional API support : Click the Help link in iLab or email ilab-support@agilent.com

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iLab Support

iLab Support

Researchers

iLab — View/Update/Submit a cart

View/Update/Submit a cart

Role: Researcher

STEP 1: Click the View Cart link.

From the left menu, click on the View Cart link.

Your cart displays.


STEP 2: Edit your cart, if needed.

If you have made any changes, click Update Cart to save your changes.


STEP 3: Submit your cart.

Click Submit Selected Orders to Lab Manager

A confirmation message displays.

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iLab — View Prices

View Prices

Role: Researcher

STEP 1: In the Keyword Search box, enter all or part of your desired item, then click the Search! button.

All relevant results will display.


STEP 2: Filter your results.

In many cases, your results will be too numerous to quickly find your desired item. In these cases you may filter your search to narrow your results. To do so, simply click in the boxes beside the relevant criteria, then click the Search! button again. (Figure 3)

STEP 3: Click on the product or the see prices button.

Once you have located your desired product in the list, click on it to open the product detail page.

You may also click on the see prices button on the search results page.

A window will display all prices for this product.


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iLab — View a Product

View a Product

Role: Researcher

STEP 1: In the Keyword box, enter all or part of your desired item, then click the Search! button.

All relevant results will display.


STEP 2: Filter your results.

In many cases, your results will be too numerous to quickly find your desired item. In these cases you may filter your search to narrow your results. To do so, simply click in the boxes beside the relevant criteria, then click the Search! button again.


STEP 3: Click on the product.

Once you have located your desired product in the list, simply click on it to open the product detail page.

You may also hover over the product link to see a quick view of product details.


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iLab — Search for Products

Search for Products

Role: Researcher

STEP 1: Access the Requisitioning tool.

On the left menu, click on the Requisitioning link, OR click on the search products link.

The Requisitioning home page displays.


STEP 2: Enter your search item.

In the Keyword box, enter all or part of your desired item, then click the Search! button.

All relevant results will display.


STEP 3: Filter your results.

In many cases, your results will be too numerous to quickly find your desired item. In these cases you may filter your search to narrow your results. To do so, simply click in the boxes beside the relevant criteria, then click the Search! button again.

If you do not find the product you are looking for, you may create a product .‍

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iLab — Determine the Status of an Order

Determine the Status of an Order

Role: Researcher

STEP 1: Click on Order History link.

On the left menu, click on the Order History link.

A list of all orders, past and present, will display. The status bar will indicate the status of the order:

  • Box 1: Requested step
  • Box 2: The Requested in Purchasing step
  • Box 3: The Delivered step

A green box indicates the step is complete. A blue box indicates the step is pending. If all boxes are red, order has been rejected, canceled, or is on hold.

Note: You may also hover your cursor over the status box to display a written description of the status.

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iLab — Create a Product

Create a Product

Role: Researcher

STEP 1: Access the Create a Product form.

The Create a Product form may be accessed two ways:

  1. From the Create Product link on the left menu:
  2. From the search page after you have searched for a product:

The Add A New Product page displays.


STEP 2: Complete the fields.

Complete each of the starred fields. Starred fields have the autocomplete feature and will display appropriate options as you type. (Figure 3)


STEP 3: Add the product to the catalog.

Click the Add to Catalog button.

If there are any errors, they will be detailed in a red box.

Correct the errors and click Add to Catalog button again.

If no errors exist, the product is now added to the catalog, and will display on your screen.

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iLab — Add a One-Off Charge

Add a One-Off Charge

Role: Researcher

STEP 1: Click on View Cart.

From the left menu, click on the View Cart link.


STEP 2: Click on Add a one-off charge.

Click on the Add a one-off charge button, then click Add a one-off charge again.


STEP 3: Complete the information.

Complete the information. You may also add special comments and attachments (such as an invoice or receipt).


STEP 4: Save/submit your order.

Once you have completed the information, you may either save your order, or save and submit your order.

To save your order, you may click Update Your Cart. You may also click Keep Shopping to update your cart and return to the Requisitioning home page.

To save and submit your order, click Submit Selected Orders to Lab Manager.

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iLab — Add Prices to a Product

Add Prices to a Product

Role: Researcher

STEP 1: In the K eyword box, enter all or part of your desired search item, then click the Search! button.

All relevant results will display.


STEP 2: Filter your results.

In many cases, your results will be too numerous to quickly find your desired item. In these cases you may filter your search to narrow your results. To do so, simply click in the boxes beside the relevant criteria, then click the Search! button again.


STEP 3: Open prices.

Once you have located your product, click see prices to view the list of current prices.


STEP 4: Add a new price.

Click the add a price button. A new window will display. Add price, type, and unit. Optionally, you may also add notes.


STEP 5: Save the price.

To save your price, click save price to product. The new price will now display with the other prices.

You may also save the price for one-time use by clicking one time use button. When you create a price for one time use, the item is automatically saved to your cart, and the price will NOT display with the others.

You may also add a price by clicking on the add a price button on the product page.


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iLab Support

Lab Managers

iLab — View Requests in an Order Block

View Requests in an Order Block

Role: Lab Manager

STEP 1: View your orders.

From the core’s homepage, click on manage requests under the Requisitioning section on the left navigation menu.


STEP 2: View your order block.

On the top of the page, you will see all the order blocks for this lab. Select which order block you would like to view by clicking on it.

From here you may take several actions on requests within the block:

  • EDIT THE REQUEST : To edit elements of the request, click on Edit this Request. You may also click to be clue arrow to edit the request. You may also click on the pencil beside the order without opening the options window.
  • ADD A COMMENT : You may add a comment to an order. This is a free text window so you may add anything you wish. A good example would be adding a comment on about a potential duplicate order or special instructions.
  • ADD AN ATTACHMENT: You may add an attachment to a request, like a PO.
  • VIEW PRODUCT DETAILS: You may quickly view item details - like the manufacturer and the price- by clicking on this option.
  • CANCEL REQUEST : You may cancel (delete) the request from the options menu. You may also quickly view information about a request. For example, when a red flag displays next to the request, this indicates that a product in this request was recently ordered and may be a duplicate.
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iLab — Find Previous Purchases

Find Previous Purchases

Role: Lab Manager

Via manage requests:

Next, you will see your previous orders display under the section, Previous Orders.


Via Order History:

You can also view previous orders by first clicking Order History, and then clicking on the View Purchases tab. To further narrow your results, use the filters.


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iLab — Set Up Order Blocks

Set Up Order Blocks

Role: Lab Manager

When you have several different types of orders, it may be beneficial to group your orders into ordering blocks to better manage your responsibilities. By selecting how items should be processed that land in this order block, language and highlighting will display on the screen which will help managers determine what action should be taken. Choosing an option will NOT, however, restrict lab managers from performing other actions on items.

STEP 1: From the core's homepage, access manage requests under the Requisitioning tab.

The order management screen displays.


STEP 2: Create a new ordering block.

There is a default ordering block created for every all unassigned requests in the core. All requests will be assigned to this general ordering block unless and until they are assigned to a new block.

To create a new block, click on add block link on the Ordering Block tab.

The Ordering Blocks management fields will display.


STEP 3: Select a recommended action for your new ordering block.

Once you complete Step 3, you will be asked to select a recommended action for your new ordering block.

Options are:

  • Purchase : The recommended action for items in this order block is to select, review and Process Items for Purchase
  • Approve :  Order blocks can be defined through order rules to advance to different blocks depending on the way the rules are defined. These must be set up through iLab Support.
  • Filter: The recommended action for items in this order block is to filter into appropriate order blocks (i.e. by vendor) for eventual purchase by clicking Move to Order block .


STEP 4: Name your new block.

You will want to name your new block in a manner which will easily distinguish it from the other blocks.


STEP 5: Add a note, if desired.

You may add a note about your new ordering block if you desire. This note will display beneath the block name and usually offers more details.

STEP 5: Click Create.

When you are satisfied with the content, click Create to save and create your new block.

Your new block will now display and is ready to accept orders.

Editing a block

To edit an existing block, click on the pencil icon and edit the content.

Deleting a block

To delete an existing block, click the red X beside the block.

Email notification options

You may define whether you will receive email alerts. If the email icon is blue (on), you will receive alerts once a day at 8:00 a.m. and when orders come into this block during the day. If the email icon is gray, the notification is off.

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iLab — Process Requests

Process Requests

Role: Lab Manager

You may process requests in Requisitioning two different ways: by order block or manually (individually). Order blocks are created to organize requests into groups by pre-defined parameters, usually approval levels. (For more information about order blocks, see How Can I Set Up My Order Blocks.)

STEP 1: Click on the order block you wish to process to open it.

STEP 2: Click the box to the right of the requests you wish to process.

The requests will highlight yellow. Click save selected . NOTE: You MUST save requests before you may process them. A green arrow will display beside requests that have been saved.

STEP 3: Approve or reject the selected requests.

Below the requests, you will see several tabs. To approve the requests, click on the approve tab. To reject the requests, click on the reject tab.

If you select approve, you will have the option to approve to the next step or move to previous step. To approve, click approve to the next step. This moves the order to the next step in the approval process. You will see a message confirming this.

Once the requests have moved through final approval (in this case, Approved Requests Ready For Order) , you can be certain that all necessary parties have approved and the items are ready to be ordered.

NOTE : Most labs will only have one approver and not require multiple approval blocks. Fore more information about setting up approval blocks, see Set Up Order Blocks ‍.


STEP 4: Process your orders.

Click on the Process tab. In the PO number or RO number fields, record the confirmation number from the vendor website along with any other pertinent information (like tracking number, for example). Then click Process items manually.

The Previous Purchases list will display, with your new item on top.

Rejecting a request

To reject a request, complete Steps 1-3. Then, click on Reject.

A message displays on the screen indicated that you have rejected a request.

It should be noted that rejected requests can still be viewed by clicking on Order History and filtering for rejected requests.

You will then see your rejected request displayed.

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iLab — View Previous Purchases

View Previous Purchases

Role: Lab Manager

STEP 1: Access purchases.

From the core’s home page, click on Manage Requests under the Requisitioning tab.


STEP 2: Click on Previous Purchases tab.


STEP 3: Click on the date (link) to view the full order.

You may view/edit many elements.

When you have finished any updates, click save.

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iLab Support

iLab — Webinars Library

Webinars Library

Role: All Users

Explore a comprehensive series of instructional videos that will guide you through the diverse iLab features. Gain valuable insights and learn how to leverage these features effectively to optimize your workflow and achieve greater efficiency in using iLab.

The library is organized by iLab user role:

Help us to improve and grow the webinars library:


Core Administrators

Topic Recording URL Additional Help Site Resources
Equipment Usage Report Watch Video
Reporting‍
Reporting Field Details
Managing Core Access Requests Watch Video Managing Access Requests
Access Requests Settings
Confirm Usage Watch Video Confirm Usage
Charge Entry Watch Video Charge Entry
Core Administration Settings Watch Video Administration Tab Overview

Core Customers/All Users

Topic Recording URL Additional Help Site Resources
Request Services Coming Soon Request Services
Create Reservations Coming Soon Schedule Equipment

Feedback

Your feedback matters. Help us to improve and grow the iLab Webinars library:


iLab Support

iLab — FAQs: Administrators

FAQs: Administrators

Roles: Core and Institution Administrators

To start, choose a subject from the list or use the search tool:

Search

Recently Added

How do I confirm usage?

Read the Confirm Usage article for more information.

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How do I manage access requests to our Core or proactively grant access to a user?

As the core administrator, you will receive an email notification whenever a new access request is received. To review and approve/reject an access request:

  1. Log in to your ilab account.
  2. Navigate to the core page where you want to manage access requests.
  3. You can check for pending access requests by accessing the access requests panel, which is located within the "Administration" tab of the core page.

  4. In the access requests panel, you will find information about the requester, including the name of the user and their contact details.
  5. Review the access request and set the user's access privileges and training status as needed.
  6. If necessary, you can add internal notes for reference or send an email notification to the user.
  7. Click on the "approve", update or "reject. " button, as needed.

If you want to proactively grant access to new users, you can do so from the access requests panel in the “Administration” tab or the “People” tab.

From the “Administration” tab:

  1. Click to open the “access requests” panel, click on the "+ access to a new customer" button.


  2. Search for the user.
  3. Set their access privileges and training status as needed.
  4. Click on the “approve” or “update” button.

From the “People” tab:

  1. Click on the "+ access to a new customer" button, located to the right side of the screen.


  2. Search for the user and click on their name.
  3. Click on the "grant access" button.
  4. Set the user's access privileges and training status as needed.
  5. Click the "approve" or "update" button.

If you need to manage or grant access to an individual user who has previously interacted with your core, click the yellow “key” icon next to their name in the "People" tab.

Note

The "People" tab only lists users who have previously interacted with your core. If you are granting access to a new customer, use the "+ access to a new customer" button.


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Setting Up Recurring Events in iLab

To set up recurring events in iLab, follow these steps:

  1. Enable Recurring Events Module:
    1. Log in to your iLab account with core administrator privileges.
    2. Go to the "Administration" tab.
    3. Under the Scheduling category, find the "Enable recurring events module" setting.
    4. Set the setting to "Yes" and click "Apply".
    5. Refresh your page to activate the changes.
  2. Configure Recurring Events Settings:
    1. After enabling the module, a new sub-group called "Recurring events" will appear below the Scheduling category.
    2. Within the Recurring events sub-group, you can define specific settings for recurring events.
    3. Set the "Maximum number of events within one recurrence" field to specify the maximum number of recurring events that can be scheduled in a single reservation.
    4. Decide whether to allow users to create recurring events:
      • Set the "Allow users to create recurring events" field to "Yes" if you want all users to have access to schedule recurring events.
      • If you want to restrict the ability to create recurring events to specific users:
        • Set the "Allow only specially assigned users to create recurring events" field to "Yes".
        • Manage the users who can create recurring events on a per-calendar basis. Refer to the Recurring Events section of the Schedule Settings article for detailed instructions.
  3. Add Recurrent Users (optional):
    1. If you want to allow only specific users access to the recurring reservation functionality:
    2. Within the calendar edit section of your core, select the Recurring Events panel.
    3. Use the search box to find the user by typing their name.
    4. Select the appropriate user from the search results.
  1. Click "Add" to grant the user permission to create recurring events.

That's it! You have now set up the recurring events feature in iLab and configured the necessary settings. You can start creating recurring reservations based on your defined schedule.


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User/Group Management

How do I add a new lab member?

If the user already has an iLab account:

  1. Open Menu > My Groups ;
  2. Click on your lab name;
  3. Click on the Members tab;
  4. At the bottom of the page, click on ‘link existing user’ and search for the user.

If the user does not have an iLab account and:

a. your institution has an ID integration with iLab: they should go to the Institution’s iLab login page and click on Register/Sign Up to create an account.

b. your institution does not have ID integration: they should register from one of the links provided here .


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How do I remove someone from the lab?
  1. Open Menu > My Groups ;
  2. Click on lab name;
  3. Click on the Members tab;
  4. Click on the ‘trash bin’ icon to the right of the user name.


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How do I add a new fund number to a lab?

To manually add a fund number to your lab, follow the instructions provided here .

  1. Click Menu > My Groups ;
  2. Open your lab page;
  3. Click the Membership Requests & Funds tab;
  4. Go to "Request additional to additional fund numbers" section;
  5. Add the fund number;
  6. Click Request.

⚠ Note

Some institutions allow PIs/Lab manager to add new fund numbers to the lab. If your institution does not allow funds to be manually added or if you receive an error message indicating the number is invalid, contact the iLab Project Manager at your institution for more information, as the fund numbers are automatically sent to iLab through a nightly file transfer.


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How do I assign a fund number to a lab member?
  1. Open Menu > My Groups;
  2. Click on the lab name;
  3. Click on the Membership Requests & Funds tab;
  4. Search for the user and check the boxes for each fund you need to assign to them.


Back to top

How do I change the Primary Contact for the lab?

The lab primary contact will receive all e-mail notifications requiring the lab administrators' attention. The PI or additional lab managers can still approve pending requests. This also lists the user as a financial contact for core facilities, so that they can be more easily communicated with.

  1. Open Menu > My Groups ;
  2. Click on the lab name;
  3. Click on the Members tab;
  4. Click on the ‘pencil’ icon to the right side of the new financial contact name;
  5. Check the ‘Core Financial Contact?’ box;
  6. Press Save ;
  7. Refresh your page and go to the Group Settings tab;
  8. Under ‘Communication Settings’, select the user from the ‘Lab Primary Contact’ drop-down list, if not already.

⚠ Note

By default, the PI is the primary contact for the lab. Any lab manager can be assigned as the Core Financial Contact – approval notifications are sent to all financial contacts -, but only one person can be the primary contact in the group. The primary contact will also be the owner of the invoices issued by the Core facilities.


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How do I update the lab name?
  1. Open Menu > My Groups;
  2. Click on the lab name;
  3. Click on the Group Settings tab;
  4. Click on 'edit' under the General Lab Information section;
  5. Update the lab name;
  6. Press 'Update Lab Profile'.


Back to top

How do I change the auto-approval threshold for the lab?
  1. Open Menu > My Groups ;
  2. Click on the lab name;
  3. Click on the Members tab;
  4. Under Lab-wide approval settings, update the default auto-approval threshold field and Cost overage buffer, if needed;
  5. Click Save approval settings .


You can also set an individual threshold for each one of the lab members:

  1. Click on the Members tab;
  2. Click on the 'pencil' icon to the right side of the user's name;
  3. Add an 'Auto Approved Amount' under the Group Information section;
  4. Press Save .

This amount overrides the lab default auto-approval threshold and sets different limits per member, at your discretion.


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How do I remove users from a lab group when they have pending charges?

If you are unable to remove a user from the lab group, by using the red x button in the Members tab, as they are showing to have open, unbilled projects or reservations:

You can still remove them from being associated with the lab group, using an alternate method that will bypass these open projects, which most likely are draft requests never submitted to a Core facility.

  1. Log into your iLab account.
  2. Navigate to the Lab page.
  3. Click to open the lab Members tab,
  4. Click on the pencil icon to the right side of the users name.
  5. Enter a past date in the end date field, and the user will no longer be associated with the group as of the date entered.


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Service Requests

How do I update the status of a request?
  1. Log into your iLab account.
  2. Navigate to the Core page.
  3. Click the "Service Requests" tab.
  4. Search for the service request ID using the filter on the left-side panel.
  5. Toggle the "blue arrow" icon below the Service Request date to open its details section.
  6. Toggle the "blue arrow" icon to the right side of the "Overview" section.
  7. Locate and click the "Edit" link to the right side of the Overview section
  8. Click the drop-down to the right side of the "Status" field to manually change the service request status.


Back to top

How do I fix the "missing payment information" error message?
  1. Log into your iLab account.
  2. Navigate to the Core page.
  3. Click the "Service Requests" tab.
  4. Search for the service request ID using the filter on the left-side menu.
  5. Click on the dollar sign icon to the right side of the Service Request.
  6. Choose a fund/payment number from the drop-down list.

If the user does not have any fund/account number assigned to them:

Reach out to their PI, Lab Manager or Institute Admin, and request a fund assignment to the user before selecting the payment information on the service request.


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How do I assign price types for a user/lab?
  1. Log into your iLab account.
  2. Navigate to the Core page.
  3. Click the "Admin" tab.
  4. Click to open the Pricing panel.
  5. Search for the user, lab, or institution they belong to, and assign one of the available pricing types as needed.


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Scheduling

How to manage trained users and permission levels on a calendar?
  1. Open the schedules tab on your core's site page.
  2. Locate the calendar you want to manage and click on the pencil icon next to it.
  3. On the settings page, click on the Permissions tab on the left side
  4. Here, you can add new users or modify the current list of users.
    • To add a new user, look for an option to "Add User" or "Invite User" and provide the necessary information.
    • To modify an existing user, find the user in the list and click on an option like "Edit" or a pencil icon to make changes.
  5. Save your changes to update the user list and permission levels.

More information can be found here - Editing Equipment Permissions


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How do I add a new schedule?
  1. Open your Core page;
  2. Go to the Schedule Equipment tab;
  3. Click More > Add Schedule ;
  4. Detailed instructions about each setting can be found here .


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I have a new calendar to add, and it is identical to an existing resource in our Core. Can we duplicate/clone the calendar?

iLab doesn't have a feature to duplicate calendars. All calendars must be added as new.

Tip 💡

Open the settings page of the existing calendar in a separate window – not a tab – and use CTRL+Tab to quickly change between pages to fill out the new calendar settings based on the former one.


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Billing

How do I remove a single line charge from an invoice?
  1. Open the Invoice page ;
  2. Click on the 'dollar sign' icon to the right side of the charge name;
  3. Click on the small ‘x’ icon next to the amount of the charge:


Back to top

How do I detach an invoice?
  1. Open the Invoice page ;
  2. Click on the 'red' icon at the top of the invoice to detach it from the billing file.

The service request containing the charges from the detached invoice will have its status reverted to "Ready to Bill". The charges will be included in a new invoice when you create a new billing file.

⚠ Note

If the Billing File containing the problematic invoice has already been sent to your ERP (the billing file status is File Sent ), contact Support.


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Reporting

How do I track equipment usage for a given period?
  1. Log into your iLab account.
  2. Navigate to the Core page.
  3. Click the "Reporting" tab
  4. Change the report type from the default "Charges" to "Events."
  5. Click the "Build new" button
  6. Select the date range, then click on the "Charts and Tables" button.
  7. Remove the pre-selected chart types and tables by clicking on the red "X" on the right side of each chart type.
  8. Click on "Add a new chart or table."
  9. Select the charts/data you want to collect in each field and press "Apply."

The dashboard does not display the report in full detail.

To view all the usage data, you will need to export the report source file by clicking on the "Export" button and choosing the desired file format.



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How do I run a report on custom forms?
  1. Open Core page > Reporting tab;
  2. Click on Custom Forms ;
  3. Select the date range;
  4. Select the custom form;
  5. Click on 'Download custom form source data as CSV'.

Note ⚠

Currently, only the following data field types are supported for download in the Custom Forms report: small text box, large text box, date, pull-down menu, attachment (only the file name), radio buttons, checkboxes, charges, and tables. Content from files uploaded by customers will not be downloaded in the report.

Tip 💡

If you wish to download information from the 'grid' section of your custom forms, you re-add any 'grid' field as 'table' in the settings page of the custom form.


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Core Settings

How can I change the Primary Contact of our Core?
  1. Open your Core page > About our Core tab
  2. Click on the 'pencil' icon;
  3. Scroll down to the Contacts grid.
  4. The person listed in the first line of the grid is the Primary Contact shown in the system.
  5. Update the first line with the new contact information;
  6. If the older Primary Contact needs to stay on the grid, re-add their information into any of the lower lines.
  7. Press Save .

Note ⚠

The update takes overnight to go in effect. Contact Support in case it does not update.


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How can I add/change an image in the About our Core tab?
  1. Create an URL to the new image by using an online image host, such as Photobucket;
  2. Go to your Core page > About our Core tab;
  3. Click on the 'pencil' icon;
  4. In the Name and Description field, click on the ‘image’ icon located in the edit box.
  5. Paste the URL for the new image;
  6. Click OK .
  7. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Save Service Center

Contact Support if you need assistance to generate the URL for your image.


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How do I change the Core name?
  1. Open Core page > About our Core tab;
  2. Click on the 'pencil' icon to the top left of the screen;
  3. Change the Core name;
  4. Press Save Service Center .



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FAQs Feedback


People Who Found This Helpful

iLab — FAQs: Core Users

FAQs: Core Users

Roles: All Users

To start, choose a subject from the list or use the search tool:

Search


Lab/Group Management

How do I add a new lab member?

If the user already has an iLab account:

  1. Open Menu > My Groups ;
  2. Click on your lab name;
  3. Click on the Members tab;
  4. At the bottom of the page, click on ‘link existing user’ and search for the user.

If the user does not have an iLab account and:

a) your institution has an ID integration with iLab: they should go to the Institution’s iLab login page and click on Register/Sign Up to create an account.

b) your institution does not have ID integration: they should register from one of the links provided here .


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I received an email to approve a membership request, but the link doesn't work.

In addition to the email, you can also approve new members directly from your labs page:

  1. Log into your account.
  2. Open the Menu found in the upper left of your screen.
  3. Under the My Groups section, click on the labs name. to open its page.
  4. Then, click the Membership Requests & Funds tab.

If the request isn't displayed in this section, complete the additional steps outlined below:

  1. In the Members tab, review the list of current users to confirm that other supervisors havent approved them yet.
  2. If not, click the Link Existing User button, found at the bottom of the Members grid,
  3. Fill out the required information and approve them instantly to join the group.


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How do I remove someone from the lab?
  1. Open Menu > My Groups ;
  2. Click on lab name;
  3. Click on the Members tab;
  4. Click on the ‘trash bin’ icon to the right of the user name.


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How do I add new fund number to our lab?

To manually add a fund number to your lab, follow the instructions provided here .

  1. Click Menu > My Groups ;
  2. Open your lab page;
  3. Click the Membership Requests & Funds tab;
  4. Go to "Request additional to additional fund numbers" section;
  5. Add the fund number;
  6. Click Request.

⚠ Note

Some institutions allow PIs/Lab manager to add new fund numbers to the lab. If your institution does not allow funds to be manually added or if you receive an error message indicating the number is invalid, contact the iLab Project Manager at your institution for more information, as the fund numbers are automatically sent to iLab through a nightly file transfer.


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How do I assign a fund number to a lab member?
  1. Open Menu > My Groups;
  2. Click on the lab name;
  3. Click on the Membership Requests & Funds tab;
  4. Search for the user and check the boxes for each fund you need to assign to them.


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How do I view our invoices?
  1. Click Menu > Invoices ;
  2. Use the Filter on the left, to narrow your search scope.

Tip 💡

If the dashboard is empty and you cannot view your invoice, use the filter on the left side and add a date range to your search parameters.


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How do I change the Primary Contact for the lab?

The lab primary contact will receive all e-mail notifications requiring the lab administrators' attention. The PI or additional lab managers can still approve pending requests. This also lists the user as a financial contact for core facilities, so that they can be more easily communicated with.

  1. Open Menu > My Groups ;
  2. Click on the lab name;
  3. Click on the Members tab;
  4. Click on the ‘pencil’ icon to the right side of the new financial contact name;
  5. Check the ‘Core Financial Contact?’ box;
  6. Press Save ;
  7. Refresh your page and go to the Group Settings tab;
  8. Under ‘Communication Settings’, select the user from the ‘Lab Primary Contact’ drop-down list, if not already.

⚠ Note

By default, the PI is the primary contact for the lab. Any lab manager can be assigned as the Core Financial Contact – approval notifications are sent to all financial contacts -, but only one person can be the primary contact in the group. The primary contact will also be the owner of the invoices issued by the Core facilities.


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How do I update the lab name?
  1. Open Menu > My Groups;
  2. Click on the lab name;
  3. Click on the Group Settings tab;
  4. Click on 'edit' under the General Lab Information section;
  5. Update the lab name;
  6. Press 'Update Lab Profile'.


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How do I change the auto-approval threshold for the lab?
  1. Open Menu > My Groups ;
  2. Click on the lab name;
  3. Click on the Members tab;
  4. Under Lab-wide approval settings, update the default auto-approval threshold field and Cost overage buffer, if needed;
  5. Click Save approval settings .


You can also set an individual threshold for each one of the lab members:

  1. Click on the Members tab;
  2. Click on the 'pencil' icon to the right side of the user's name;
  3. Add an 'Auto Approved Amount' under the Group Information section;
  4. Press Save .

This amount overrides the lab default auto-approval threshold and sets different limits per member, at your discretion.


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How do I remove users from a lab group when they have pending charges?

If you are unable to remove a user from the lab group, by using the red x button in the Members tab, as they are showing to have open, unbilled projects or reservations:

You can still remove them from being associated with the lab group, using an alternate method that will bypass these open projects, which most likely are draft requests never submitted to a Core facility.

  1. Log into your iLab account.
  2. Navigate to the Lab page.
  3. Click to open the lab Members tab,
  4. Click on the pencil icon to the right side of the users name.
  5. Enter a past date in the end date field, and the user will no longer be associated with the group as of the date entered.


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How to search for and access external core facilities?
  1. Log into your iLab account.
  2. Click on the Menu icon at the upper right of your screen.
  3. Click Core Facilities
  4. From the View drop-down list, change it to show "Cores at Other Institutions."

If you cannot find the Core facility you are looking for, or if the list is empty, submit a ticket to iLab Support, as you will need a custom URL to access the external core facility.


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Service Requests

I don't see any Cores listed when I log into my account.

The Core Facilities list defaults to show Cores at your home Institution. If your institution does not have any Cores available through iLab:

  1. In the Core Facilities page, locate the filter ‘View’ to the right side of your screen;
  2. Change the filter to display Cores at Other Institutions – or any other if applicable;
  3. You can search for the Core facility name in the search field box to the right side of the filter, to narrow your search results:


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Where do I view my requests?

If you are a PI or Lab Manager, from the left side Menu:

  1. Open Menu ;
  2. Under Core Facilities, click View Requests .



Tip 💡

The View Requests dashboard organizes your projects by statuses. We recommend accessing the All Requests tab for a complete overview of your submitted projects.


If you are a Lab Member, from your Homepage:

  1. Open Menu > Home ;
  2. Scroll down to the Service Requests panel and click on the name of the request.


From the Core facility page you ordered the services:

  1. Open the Core page;
  2. Click View My Request .



Back to top

How do I cancel a request?
  1. Click Menu > Home;
  2. Scroll down to the Service Requests panel and click on the name of the request you would like to cancel;
  3. Click on the 'pencil' icon to the right side of the request page.
  4. Click on ‘Cancel’.

Note ⚠

You can only cancel requests you have not submitted to the Core yet. If you need to cancel a submitted request, contact the Core for more information.


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How do I approve a request?
  1. Open Menu ;
  2. Under Core facilities, click View Requests .


Tip 💡

The View Requests dashboard organizes your projects by statuses. We recommend accessing the All Requests tab for a complete overview of your submitted projects. Toggle open to see the service request history.


Back to top

How do I change the payment number for a request?
  1. Open the request page;
  2. Click on the 'dollar sign' icon to the right side of the request name;
  3. Select the charge you would like to change the payment number;
  4. Select/add the new payment number;
  5. Press Save .


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I am getting the “Missing payment information” error message. How can I fix that?

If you are a lab member, contact your PI or Lab manager as they will need to assign you any needed fund number in your lab page. To get their contact information:

  1. Open Menu > My Groups ;
  2. Click on the lab name;
  3. Their contact information can be found in the Members tab of your lab page. The Lab Manager is identified by a yellow icon and/or dollar sign on the right side of their name.


If you are lab manager or PI, confirm you have a fund assigned to you in the Membership Requests & Funds tab of your lab page.


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FAQs Feedback

People Who Found This Helpful

iLab Support

iLab — Contact Support

Contact Support

Role: All users

iLab users access support resources, contact support, and review their tickets in a number of ways:


Access iLab Support Portal

The central iLab Support Portal can be accessed from within iLab by clicking on the 'Help' link in the upper-right of the screen:

This will bring you to iLab's Support Portal and offer you multiple options to address your question:

  1. Search : Search your tickets by number or by name from the Search bar.
  2. Help Site : Brings you to this Help Site.
  3. System Status : Directs you to a page that shows the status of all iLab systems, with notes on recent events that would have impacted performance.
  4. Contact iLab Support By Phone : Directs you to the help site article with all the support phone numbers listed by region.
  5. Webinars : Access iLab webinar series to learn more about a wide range of system areas.
  6. Submit a Ticket : Submit a ticket directly in our ticketing system (see below).
  7. Review Tickets : Review all of your tickets (and also your organization's tickets if you are an Institutional Administrator).
  8. Issue Tracking : Track major issues that are currently affecting the iLab Site, as well as access to a historical record of feature incidents.
  9. Chat Now : Have a live conversation with a Support Agent.

Submit a Ticket Through the Portal

To create a new ticket, click on the 'Submit a Ticket' button on the Support Portal page and fill out the New Ticket window that will pop-up:

The Subject field should contain relevant information briefly describing the issue or request.

The Description field should contain a detailed description of your request, as this will enable our Support Agents to quickly evaluate and address your request.

You may add a screen recording to your ticket by clicking on the circle 'Record' button.  This feature allows you to record your screen, as well as to optionally narrate with your voice, and show exactly what questions or issues you may have.  The recording will be embedded directly in the ticket and has a maximum length of 5 minutes.  If using the screen recording feature for the first time, you will be prompted to install a browser extension.

To add attachments, you can drag and drop multiple files on the ‘Drop files here or click to upload’ area or click on this area and navigate through your computer files to upload the attachments to the ticket.

Once you have completed the form, click on 'Submit Ticket'. You will receive an e-mail notification with your ticket number for tracking and any update/response added to your ticket.


Submit a Ticket by E-mail

You can also submit a ticket to iLab by e-mail. Include the subject and description of your request or issue in the message and send it to the following e-mail address:

Note that issues submitted by e-mail will create a ticket in the same ticketing system, so you can later review and update the status from the Support Portal, in the 'Review Tickets' page.


Review Support Tickets

You can review all the tickets you have submitted directly from the Support Portal or by e-mail by clicking on the 'Review Tickets' button. This will open up the ticket review panel (some columns have been masked):

  1. Ticket filter : By default, you will see all of your open tickets. However, you can also choose to review only your closed or all of the tickets. If you are an Institutional Administrator, you will also see options to view all open tickets and closed tickets across your entire organization (i.e. tickets submitted by all other users at your institution).
  2. Search : Enter terms like ticket number or partial name to filter the list of tickets.
  3. Export CSV : Download the displayed list of tickets to a .csv file.
  4. Ticket list : Show all the tickets based on the applied filter criteria. Click on the ticket name or number to access its detailed information, such as current status or history.



Chat with a Support Agent

From the bottom-right of the Support Portal page, you can initiate a live chat session with a Support Agent. Complete the required sections of the chat form and click submit to be connected with the first available agent.


Contact iLab Support By SMS

You can now contact iLab Support through SMS Text Message. Send your question to +1 (408)-413-3760 * and you will be connected to the next available agent.

*Standard Domestic/International SMS data and/or rates may apply.


Contact iLab Support by Phone

The iLab support team can be reached directly by phone 24-hours per day during business days. Outside of business days, the phone line can be used to escalate urgent issues. To do so, follow the corresponding system prompts. Please use the appropriate number from the list below:

Country iLab Support phone
U.S. & Canada +1-800-690-2957
Australia +61-1-800-572-319
China +86-400-820-0661 or +86-800-820-0661
France +33-0-800-918-672
Germany +49-0-800-181-9513
Norway +47-800-15-105
Spain +34-900-958-741
U.K. +44-0-808-234-2050

Issue Tracking

The 'Issue Tracking' button allows you to check on the progress and details of incidents that cause major disruptions to your workflow in iLab. Clicking on this icon, will direct you to the list of issues. Issues are categorized by the server instance of your iLab application.

Click on the issue description to access details such as the root cause and resolution time.


iLab — Contact Support

Contact Support

Role: All users

iLab users access support resources, contact support, and review their tickets in a number of ways:


Access iLab Support Portal

The central iLab Support Portal can be accessed from within iLab by clicking on the 'Help' link in the upper-right of the screen:

This will bring you to iLab's Support Portal and offer you multiple options to address your question:

  1. Search : Search your tickets by number or by name from the Search bar.
  2. Help Site : Brings you to this Help Site.
  3. System Status : Directs you to a page that shows the status of all iLab systems, with notes on recent events that would have impacted performance.
  4. Contact iLab Support By Phone : Directs you to the help site article with all the support phone numbers listed by region.
  5. Webinars : Access iLab webinar series to learn more about a wide range of system areas.
  6. Submit a Ticket : Submit a ticket directly in our ticketing system (see below).
  7. Review Tickets : Review all of your tickets (and also your organization's tickets if you are an Institutional Administrator).
  8. Issue Tracking : Track major issues that are currently affecting the iLab Site, as well as access to a historical record of feature incidents.
  9. Chat Now : Have a live conversation with a Support Agent.

Submit a Ticket Through the Portal

To create a new ticket, click on the 'Submit a Ticket' button on the Support Portal page and fill out the New Ticket window that will pop-up:

The Subject field should contain relevant information briefly describing the issue or request.

The Description field should contain a detailed description of your request, as this will enable our Support Agents to quickly evaluate and address your request.

You may add a screen recording to your ticket by clicking on the circle 'Record' button.  This feature allows you to record your screen, as well as to optionally narrate with your voice, and show exactly what questions or issues you may have.  The recording will be embedded directly in the ticket and has a maximum length of 5 minutes.  If using the screen recording feature for the first time, you will be prompted to install a browser extension.

To add attachments, you can drag and drop multiple files on the ‘Drop files here or click to upload’ area or click on this area and navigate through your computer files to upload the attachments to the ticket.

Once you have completed the form, click on 'Submit Ticket'. You will receive an e-mail notification with your ticket number for tracking and any update/response added to your ticket.


Submit a Ticket by E-mail

You can also submit a ticket to iLab by e-mail. Include the subject and description of your request or issue in the message and send it to the following e-mail address:

Note that issues submitted by e-mail will create a ticket in the same ticketing system, so you can later review and update the status from the Support Portal, in the 'Review Tickets' page.


Review Support Tickets

You can review all the tickets you have submitted directly from the Support Portal or by e-mail by clicking on the 'Review Tickets' button. This will open up the ticket review panel (some columns have been masked):

  1. Ticket filter : By default, you will see all of your open tickets. However, you can also choose to review only your closed or all of the tickets. If you are an Institutional Administrator, you will also see options to view all open tickets and closed tickets across your entire organization (i.e. tickets submitted by all other users at your institution).
  2. Search : Enter terms like ticket number or partial name to filter the list of tickets.
  3. Export CSV : Download the displayed list of tickets to a .csv file.
  4. Ticket list : Show all the tickets based on the applied filter criteria. Click on the ticket name or number to access its detailed information, such as current status or history.



Chat with a Support Agent

From the bottom-right of the Support Portal page, you can initiate a live chat session with a Support Agent. Complete the required sections of the chat form and click submit to be connected with the first available agent.


Contact iLab Support By SMS

You can now contact iLab Support through SMS Text Message. Send your question to +1 (408)-413-3760 * and you will be connected to the next available agent.

*Standard Domestic/International SMS data and/or rates may apply.


Contact iLab Support by Phone

The iLab support team can be reached directly by phone 24-hours per day during business days. Outside of business days, the phone line can be used to escalate urgent issues. To do so, follow the corresponding system prompts. Please use the appropriate number from the list below:

Country iLab Support phone
U.S. & Canada +1-800-690-2957
Australia +61-1-800-572-319
China +86-400-820-0661 or +86-800-820-0661
France +33-0-800-918-672
Germany +49-0-800-181-9513
Norway +47-800-15-105
Spain +34-900-958-741
U.K. +44-0-808-234-2050

Issue Tracking

The 'Issue Tracking' button allows you to check on the progress and details of incidents that cause major disruptions to your workflow in iLab. Clicking on this icon, will direct you to the list of issues. Issues are categorized by the server instance of your iLab application.

Click on the issue description to access details such as the root cause and resolution time.


iLab Support

iLab Support

iLab Support

Getting Started with iLab

iLab Support

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